The Schönbergturm is Germany’s first observation tower built using reinforced concrete. The 28-metre-high tower has a viewing platform that can be walked around, offering views across the Swabian Alb; in good weather, the view extends as far as the Black Forest or the Schurwald. Pfullingen lies on the Albtrauf, at the entrance to the upper Echaz Valley and within the UNESCO-awarded Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. Thanks to its location, the town is considered an ideal starting point for hikes and excursions.
Monastery and Mill History
The permanent exhibition “Poverty, Humility, Obedience” is housed in the monastery church and former washhouse. It explores the Pfullingen Poor Clares and their world from 1250 to 1649. The original medieval speaking grille from the former Pfullingen Monastery is the only surviving medieval speaking grille in Europe. The exhibition and the grille offer different points of focus: one centres on a clearly defined period, while the other is a surviving example of medieval architecture and monastic history.
Following its renovation, Baumann’s Mill is Pfullingen’s last mill that is still in working order, as well as a cultural monument. It houses the Mill and Traditional Costume Museum. The mill spans four floors and has four sets of millstones and a mill hoist. These architectural features give the mill site a distinctive technical character alongside its monastic cultural themes.
The WĂĽrttemberg Traditional Costume Museum in Pfullingen presents rural clothing from the 18th to the 20th century. The garments were originally everyday clothes belonging to private individuals and were collected, assembled, restored and exhibited over several decades. The museum is also an information centre for the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. This means that both the history of regional clothing and information about the biosphere reserve are among the subjects you can discover in Pfullingen.
Villa, Park and Cultural Buildings
The documentation centre at Villa Laiblin comprises three rooms and an adjoining loggia, offering insights into the life and work of Louis Laiblin and his family. A pavilion dating from 1911/1912 stands in Laiblin Park. Of at least five garden houses of different designs that once stood there, it is the only one still surviving today. Together, the documentation centre and the pavilion offer two different perspectives on Pfullingen’s architectural and local history.
The historic Neske Library next to the monastery church houses a literary exhibition about GĂĽnther Neske Verlag. The Pfullinger Hallen are a cultural monument that combines a festival hall with a gymnasium. Here, too, the focuses differ: the library is dedicated to literature and publishing history, while the halls bring both functions together in one building.
Monastery Lake and Planning Your Visit
The Monastery Lake is an artificial reservoir that can be circled on foot. The millstone at the lake shows the mills of past centuries. You can occasionally spot trout in sections of the 2/8 and 1/8 channels if you approach the water carefully. Sightings are therefore limited to certain sections of the channels and require a cautious approach.
Seasonal Sunday opening hours for the WĂĽrttemberg Traditional Costume Museum are listed as 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm from May to October. Check the opening times before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Trochtelfingen, Hohenstein, Bad Urach, Metzingen, Sankt Johann, Dettingen An Der Erms, Pfronstetten, Engstingen
See the overview of destinations: Reutlingen.
