Hausen an der Würm combines tangible local history with a described hiking route from Hausen to Münklingen. In the historic town center on the western bank of the Würm stand the Protestant Church of St. Sylvester, whose core is medieval, and numerous buildings dating from the 17th to the 19th century. If you would like to consider both historic buildings and a specific walking option when choosing a destination, you will find both here—with different time-planning requirements.
Town Center, Church and Würm Bridge
The Church of St. Sylvester and the buildings from several centuries give the town center a clear historical focus. The Würm Bridge lies east of the historic center. It is a stone bridge with five arches and cutwaters, meaning projecting supports. It was built in 1777 by stonemason J. Wielandt. The church, town buildings and bridge therefore offer different starting points for exploring architectural history: from the church’s medieval core and buildings dating from the 17th to the 19th century to the 18th-century bridge, whose construction date is known.
The Land.Tour GrenzRäume
The official Land.Tour GrenzRäume route runs from Hausen an der Würm to Münklingen. It is 5.73 kilometers long, has around 134 meters of ascent and descent, and takes about an hour and a half. These details provide a concrete framework for planning your day. Most of the route follows paved agricultural and forestry roads. About two kilometers run along a forest trail with exposed roots; sure-footedness is required in places. The route is not suitable for strollers.
Trail conditions can change seasonally or after maintenance work; route specifications are also occasionally updated. Check the latest route information before setting out on your hike. This lets you take the approximate duration, elevation profile and sections with exposed roots into account together, rather than using distance alone as your guide.
Frohn Mill north of Hausen
Frohn Mill north of Hausen comprises a mill building with three grinding runs and one tanning run, a residential building, the ruins of a cellar house, a bakehouse, a mill channel and an arched bridge over the Würm. The complex therefore comprises more than just the mill building: the residence, ruins, bakehouse, channel and bridge are also among its surviving features. For those interested in cultural history, the mill offers a different focus from the church and bridge in the town center.
More to Explore in Weil der Stadt
The wider destination of Weil der Stadt offers another walking option: the Planet Trail. The Kepler Society and the town created it in spring 2012 along a hiking route in the northern Würm Valley. The Planet Trail is 10.1 kilometers long; walking time alone is about 2¾ hours. It can also be explored by bicycle. The information boards about the Sun and the inner planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are located within the municipality of Weil der Stadt. Compared with the Land.Tour GrenzRäume in Hausen, the Planet Trail is the longer of the two routes described.
The museums also offer their own perspectives on Weil der Stadt. The Kepler Museum is housed in the birthplace of astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571–1630). Some of his major works are on display there, mostly in original editions; modern presentation techniques, computer simulations and video presentations explain scientific principles. The City Museum presents the town’s history as an immersive chronicle spread across 15 rooms on three floors. The ground floor focuses on the political history of the Imperial City of Weil, from the Middle Ages to the end of its status as an Imperial Free City in 1802.
The Fools’ Museum explains why Weil der Stadt has been known as a stronghold of fools since the 17th century and how Swabian-Alemannic Carnival traditions have blended with Rhenish-Franconian carnival. Life-size figures illustrate the groups of the Weiler Fasnet carnival. Meisterin Eva’s puppet theater also features more than sixty hand puppets from the Hohnsteiner Puppenbühne. The Weiler Clowns guild regularly stages plays written by Rudolf Karl himself. If you plan to attend a performance, check the current program beforehand.
Discover more destinations: Schafhausen.
Go to the main travel overview: Weil der Stadt.
