Visitors choosing Bönnigheim as a destination can explore medieval architecture, the history of wine-making and the municipal forest on the Stromberg as distinct highlights. St. Cyriakus Church defines the Old Town; its rood screen is one of the few surviving examples in Württemberg. The Stone House adds another historic landmark, dating from 1295. When planning your visit, take account of specific tasting times, a guided tour that includes a church visit, and event dates.
Old Town and local history
For almost 400 years, various knightly families held hereditary estates in Bönnigheim and shared the town’s administration. Around 1370, the so-called Ganerbiat was established under the suzerainty of the Archbishopric of Mainz. These historical details offer different points of reference for the town’s long history.
St. Cyriakus Church is one of the defining medieval buildings in Bönnigheim’s Old Town. Its rood screen is a cross structure resting on columns between the nave and the choir; only a few rood screens have survived in Württemberg. The Stone House was built in 1295 and is Bönnigheim’s oldest building. The church’s architectural highlight is its rood screen, while the Stone House is notable for its construction date and status as the oldest building.
Wine-making and tastings
Wine-making in Bönnigheim was documented more than 1,200 years ago. Three of the seven medieval wine presses have survived. The historical record and surviving wine presses offer different perspectives on the local history of wine-making. For a specific opportunity to taste and buy wine, visit the Vinothek Bönnigheim: wines are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m., or by appointment. Check the details before travelling.
The Bönnigheim Wine Trails tour also includes a visit to St. Cyriakus Church. If you plan to join the tour, check the current schedule. This lets you combine a church visit with the wine theme while keeping the stated scheduling requirement in mind.
Museum and events
The Arzney-Küche Museum presents the production of “aqua vitae” and historical practices of alchemists and herbal women. Visitors interested in cultural history beyond the town’s buildings will find a different focus here from that of the church and Stone House.
Bönnigheim’s festivals include a wine festival in the castle courtyard, a museum night in the Old Town and the early-summer Brunnenfest. These events offer different highlights focused on wine, the museum and the Old Town. If a festival is the reason for your trip, check the relevant dates before making plans.
Municipal forest and landscape
Bönnigheim’s municipal forest lies on the eastern edge of the Stromberg and is part of the Stromberg-Heuchelberg Nature Park. The landscape offers a different focus from the historic buildings: the forest is defined both by its location on the Stromberg and by its place within the nature park. If you would rather focus on the landscape than on architecture when choosing where to stay, this may be worth considering.
Within the wider destination of Ludwigsburg
In the wider destination of Ludwigsburg, terraced, steep vineyards along the Neckar and Enz rivers shape the landscape of Ludwigsburg district. Wine trails there also offer a variety of highlights. The Wunnenstein Wine Experience Trail is an approximately four-kilometre walking route with 60 illustrated information panels about wine-making and wine production. Along the route are viewpoints, restaurants, seating areas, barbecue spots and Wengertschützen huts.
The Geigersberg Wine Trail is a 1.9-kilometre circular route with information panels about nature and wine culture, as well as rest areas. By comparison, the Wunnenstein Wine Experience Trail combines its wine-making theme with viewpoints and several facilities along the route. The regional trails in the wider destination of Ludwigsburg thus offer their own themes and route lengths, while Bönnigheim has its own highlights: the Old Town, wine-making history and municipal forest.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Tamm, Ditzingen, Walheim, Markgröningen, Besigheim, Eberdingen, Ingersheim, Affalterbach.
Back to the overview of the wider destination: Ludwigsburg.
