Discover Calw, Freudenstadt and Schramberg

If you love half-timbered houses as much as I do, Calw will never cease to amaze you. More than 200 listed buildings dating from the 17th century line the streets around the 220-metre-long market square and the banks of the Nagold River, which flows peacefully through the town. Street names in the old town, such as Metzgergasse and Salzgasse, offer clues to the trades and commerce once found there. For the best views over Calw, climb the tower known as Der Lange, where the eerie cells of the former prison can still send a shiver down your spine. The town is also proud to be the birthplace of the renowned poet and author Hermann Hesse. You can encounter his life-size bronze statue on the historic Nikolaus Bridge, Calw’s landmark and home to the Gothic Nikolaus Chapel.

Right next to Calw’s old town is the town park, where the enchanting Wasser-, Wald- und Wiesenpfad, a premium hiking trail, begins. The 14-kilometre route leads through dense forests, alongside gently babbling streams and across idyllic meadow orchards. Hirsau, just four kilometres away, also offers wonderful opportunities to unwind in nature. One particularly scenic and varied hike begins at the impressive ruins of the former Benedictine monastery of St Peter and Paul. The trail passes through the unspoilt natural surroundings of the fascinating Wolfsschlucht gorge before reaching Fuchsklinge gorge, where the Tälebach stream gently burbles through the landscape. From there, it returns to the starting point. At 10 kilometres long with 250 metres of ascent, this is a manageable and rewarding hike.

The second Small Town Gem I can wholeheartedly recommend is Freudenstadt. It, too, is famous for something special – although in this case, it is not a person, but Germany’s largest enclosed market square. Covering an impressive 47,000 square metres, this central square is home to the striking town church, one of Freudenstadt’s most recognisable landmarks. On warm summer days, Europe’s largest fountain complex offers welcome refreshment for all ages. Alongside the market square, the elaborately decorated Black Forest Fountain and the free climb up the town hall tower are among the town’s main attractions. From the top, the fir trees of the Black Forest seem almost close enough to touch!

The Black Forest’s largest fir tree, known as the Grandfather Fir, can be admired on Kienberg Hill, Freudenstadt’s local landmark. Other highlights include climbing the Friedrich Tower, strolling along Germany’s highest rose trail and stopping for refreshments at Friedrichs am Kienberg, Waldcafé or Berghütte Lauterbad restaurants – my personal favourite! The car-free Kienberg area is easy to reach either on foot – 1.5 kilometres from the town centre – or aboard the Freudenstädter Bähnle, Freudenstadt's tourist train.

If you would like to spend even more time exploring the beautiful countryside around Freudenstadt, I highly recommend the delightful Kniebiser Heimatpfad, a local heritage trail through and around the village of Kniebis. This leisurely circular walk covers around 10 kilometres, taking you through forests, heathland, meadows. Information boards and fun activity stations – including a game of Connect Four in the middle of a field – ensure there is never a dull moment. For me, the highlight of the walk is the Ellbachseeblick viewing platform, where the Black Forest is at its most picturesque. At sunrise, the atmosphere is simply magical!

Time ticks differently in the five-valley town of Schramberg – and not only during carnival season. Since 1861, it has kept pace with the legendary Junghans watch manufacturer, which was founded here, once produced alarm clocks and continues to make watches to this day. The architecturally striking terraced building is one of the town’s landmarks. As well as the manufactory, it houses a fascinating clock museum where intricately crafted cuckoo clocks and historic musical clocks are sure to impress.

A stroll through Schramberg takes you past sights including Schramberg Castle, St Maria Church and the Hirschbrunnen fountain before reaching Park der Zeiten, a villa garden. What makes Schramberg so distinctive is the way relics from its industrial past blend with the charm of a modern small town. The former Majolica factory – named after its colourful, tin-glazed ceramics – now houses a cinema and a café, among other attractions, while another former industrial building is home to the ErfinderZeiten museum, a modern car and watches museum. As one of Baden-Württemberg’s carnival strongholds, Schramberg truly comes alive during carnival, when costumed revellers take over the town and spectators cheer on a host of long-standing traditions, including the Hanselsprung procession, the Brezelsegen and Schramberg’s Da-Bach-na-Fahrt race.

In Schramberg, too, you can set off on a wonderful hike straight from the old town. The Schramberger Burgenpfad, a circular trail linking Schramberg’s castle ruins, covers 12 kilometres and 662 metres of ascent. It leads through forests, past waterfalls and across beautiful countryside. There are also plenty of impressive views to enjoy, including magnificent views from the Hohenschramberg Castle Ruins, perched on a hill high above Schramberg. Back in the old town after your hike, perhaps the best reward after all that exercise awaits: Maultaschen, Swabian ravioli, at the Schraivogel restaurant, followed by a refreshing ice cream at the Rino ice cream parlour.