Gerlingen can be explored through several different themes: the architectural history of St. Peter’s Church, the exhibitions at the town museum, and active pursuits such as the pump track and forest discovery trail. This lets you give different weight to culture, a town walking route and time in the countryside when planning your trip, rather than focusing your stay on just one theme.
Church, Museum and Local History
The oldest part of today’s St. Peter’s Church is its 35-metre-high tower. The nave was built from 1463 until after 1495 by the workshops of Peter von Koblenz and Hans Wunderer of Pfaffenhofen. Outside the choir is the burial site of Johann Caspar Schiller, Friedrich Schiller’s father, and his sister Christiane Karoline, known as Nanette. Both died in 1796.
The Gerlingen Town Museum is housed in a 200-year-old schoolhouse and a neighbouring residential building. Its permanent exhibitions focus on everyday life in earlier times, as well as emigration and mobility. The museum also presents two major special exhibitions each year, with an accompanying programme and cultural education activities. As the programme may change, check the current exhibition dates before visiting. The KulturKiosk in front of the museum displays historical tools and equipment from crafts and agriculture.
Another way to explore Gerlingen is the town walking route. The Gerlingen Local Heritage Association established it in 1980; it is regularly updated and now includes 32 stops. The annual Bundesschwaben balls and cultural conferences are also part of Gerlingen’s tradition in connection with Hungarian German culture. If you would like to plan your trip around an event, check the current dates.
Cycling and Exploring the Forest
The pump track at Roter Platz by the school campus is a paved cycling track measuring 36 by 24 metres. Its many bumps and bends are navigated through rhythmic shifts in body weight. This specific cycling facility differs from the forest discovery trail in Gerlingen Forest: at its interactive stations, you can learn about the forest and its inhabitants. The trail is an attraction in the local recreation area and is intended especially for families with children.
The ADFC Strohgäu offers after-work cycling tours for cyclists from Gerlingen, Ditzingen and Korntal-Münchingen. Dates and participation details may change; check them in advance. The landscape within Gerlingen’s municipal boundaries is also varied: to the north lies the Strohgäu, the slopes leading up to the heights form the middle section, and the Glemswald lies on the plateau. These are three distinct landscape areas, not each of which should be equated with one of the activities mentioned above.
Connections and the Wider Region
The Stuttgart Transport and Tariff Association’s U6 light rail line connects the terminus in Gerlingen with Stuttgart Central Station in 27 minutes. Travel times and services may change; check the current timetable before travelling.
In the wider destination of Ludwigsburg, terraced, steep vineyards along the Neckar and Enz rivers shape the district’s landscape. The approximately four-kilometre-long Wunnenstein Wine Experience Trail passes 60 illustrated panels about viticulture and winemaking, as well as viewpoints; there are also restaurants, seating areas, barbecue spots and Wengertschützen huts along the route. Another thematic perspective is offered by the Wine and Literature Trail through the Schiller town of Marbach and the Bottwar Valley: it is 35 kilometres long in total and has 15 literary stops along the way. The two routes therefore differ both in length and in focus.
Discover more destinations: Remseck am Neckar, Oberstenfeld, Eberdingen, Steinheim an der Murr, Sachsenheim, Besigheim, Walheim, Mundelsheim.
Back to the main travel overview: Ludwigsburg.
