Roßwag: Discover vineyard terraces and architectural history

Roßwag combines a distinctive vineyard landscape with a rich local history. Steep vineyard terraces lie above the Enz; the architectural history of St. Martin’s Church can be traced through several dates. The official Historical Tour Roßwag takes you to stops in the historic town center, along the Enzaue and at the Weinkanzel viewpoint. This lets you tailor your stay to a range of interests: landscape, a circular walk or architecture.

Terraced vineyards and medieval walls

The Roßwager Halde consists of steep, terraced vineyards above the Enz. The historic vineyards include medieval dry-stone walls; at the same time, the Halde is a large dry habitat for warmth-loving animal and plant species. These different features tell different stories about the area: the terraces shape the slope, the walls point to its historic vineyard landscape, and the habitat highlights its importance for plants and animals.

If you’re interested in cultural landscapes, you’ll find vineyards and a special habitat side by side here. A visit can therefore focus both on the historic form of the Halde and on its animal and plant life. Please note that access to the vineyards may vary because of agricultural work.

The Historical Tour Roßwag

The official circular route is 2.02 kilometers long and takes about 40 minutes. The route includes 102 meters of ascent and 102 meters of descent. Its stops link the Backhäusle, the Enzaue, St. Martin’s Church, the historic town center and the Weinkanzel. The tour thus brings together several named stops in one circuit instead of focusing on a single place.

Distance, duration and elevation gain provide different reference points for planning: the walking time is approximate, while the ascents and descents give you a sense of the elevation profile. Check trail conditions locally. If you’d like to explore Roßwag on foot, the circular route offers a specific option with a clearly stated length and duration.

The architectural history of St. Martin’s

The church preserves building phases from several centuries. The bell is dated to 1442. The lower two stories of the west tower were completed in 1443, while the upper stories date from 1595. The nave was built in 1464–1465, and the choir in 1498–1499. The tower, nave, choir and bell therefore represent different stages in the building’s history, not a single year of construction.

Comparing the dates makes the chronology easy to follow: the bell is one year older than the completion of the tower’s lower stories; the upper stories were added much later. The nave and choir can also be distinguished by their respective dates. If you’re interested in historic buildings, St. Martin’s offers several specific dates and architectural elements that help you trace the development of the building.

The three themes offer different ways to plan your trip: the circular route brings together several stops and lists its duration and elevation gain; the Halde combines vineyard terraces with a dry habitat; and St. Martin’s has a clearly dated architectural history.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Enzweihingen, Riet, Aurich.

Go to the main travel overview: Vaihingen An Der Enz.