Herrenberg offers a window into its culture through striking buildings, routes through the old town and art venues. The collegiate church tells the story of two construction phases, while the Half-Timbered Trail explores the history and construction of the houses at 24 stops. The Jerg Ratgeb Sculpture Trail connects its route through the historic old town with Schlossberg hill. This lets you discover different sides of the town: architecture and the history of its houses, as well as art in public spaces.

Collegiate Church: Building History and Art

Herrenberg Collegiate Church was built in two phases: from 1276 to 1293 and from 1471 to 1493. It was completed as the first Gothic hall church in Württemberg. Individual works also give the building its own art-historical significance: Heinrich Schickhardt created the choir stalls in 1517, and the church has the oldest rose window in Swabia.

Herrenberg Bell Museum is also housed in the collegiate church. The church and museum thus offer different perspectives on the same building: its architecture can be explored alongside the choir stalls and rose window, while the bell collection offers a focus of its own.

Old Town Routes and Schlossberg Hill

The Jerg Ratgeb Sculpture Trail leads from the railway station through the historic old town, past the collegiate church and up to Schlossberg hill. There are 25 works along the route to the Schlossberg observation tower. The tower stands on the stump of the former powder tower; from there, the view stretches as far as the Swabian Alb.

The Half-Timbered Trail offers another way to get to know the old town. Its 24 stops explain the history and construction of the houses. Comparing the two routes, this one focuses on half-timbered architecture, while the Jerg Ratgeb Sculpture Trail connects artworks along its route from the railway station to Schlossberg hill. The routes explore different themes, without requiring you to combine them into a single itinerary.

Bell Museum and Collection

The Bell Museum includes a large bell chamber with more than 30 bells that can be rung and a 50-bell carillon. The collection spans nine centuries. Together, these details convey its scope: from the collection’s long history to the many bells and the carillon in the bell chamber.

Gallery, Concerts and Festival

The Herrenberg Municipal Gallery presents contemporary art, including painting, graphic art, photography and sculpture. This adds a perspective on contemporary art to the city’s historical themes. The music school and church musicians in Herrenberg include classical concerts in their programs.

The “Sommerfarben” (“Summer Colors”) cultural festival takes place in Herrenberg every year in early July and involves numerous cultural organizations from the city. The program and specific dates may vary. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates in advance.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Kuppingen, Magstadt, Nufringen, Grafenau, Mötzingen, Holzgerlingen, Steinenbronn, Böblingen.

Back to the main travel overview: Böblingen.