Discover Weil der Stadt

Weil der Stadt combines the Planet Trail in the northern Würm Valley with Kepler’s astronomy, a historic old town and the Fasnet carnival. This lets you put outdoor activity, science and town history at the heart of your trip. Families interested in astronomy can explore the subject in two different ways: through planetary information boards along a walking route and through the works and educational displays at the Kepler Museum.

Explore the Planet Trail on foot or by bike

The Kepler Society and the town of Weil der Stadt laid out the Planet Trail in spring 2012 along a walking route in the northern Würm Valley. The information boards about the Sun and the inner rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are located within the town limits of Weil der Stadt. The trail is 10.1 kilometres long, with an estimated walking time of about 2¾ hours. The full route also includes the endpoint at Neptune in neighbouring Tiefenbronn. The Planet Trail can also be explored by bike. Its length and walking time provide a concrete guide for planning your day, while choosing between walking and cycling offers a different way to explore.

Kepler and the town’s history in its museums

The Kepler Museum is located in the birthplace of astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571–1630). Some of his major works are on display, mostly in original editions. Modern presentation techniques, computer simulations and video screenings explain scientific fundamentals. Biography, scientific works and accessible interpretation sit side by side here.

The Weil der Stadt Town Museum also tells the story of the past through its setting: it is a walk-through chronicle comprising 15 rooms on three floors. The ground floor focuses on the political history of the imperial town of Weil, from the Middle Ages to the end of its status as an imperial city in 1802. This gives the museum a different focus from the Kepler Museum: here, the emphasis is on the town’s development and political past.

Experience the old town and the Fasnet carnival

In the historic old town, narrow lanes and attractive half-timbered houses cluster around the Catholic town church of St Peter and Paul. The Fool’s Museum is devoted to the Weil der Stadt Fasnet carnival: it explains why the town has been considered a stronghold of carnival since the 17th century and how Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet blended with Rhenish-Franconian carnival. Life-size figures illustrate the different groups in the Weil Fasnet.

Meisterin Eva’s Puppet Room offers another glimpse into this tradition. It displays more than sixty hand puppets from the Hohnstein Puppet Theatre. The “Weiler Clowns” guild regularly stages plays written by Rudolf Karl himself there; check the current programme for performances before planning a visit. Visitors can experience Weil der Stadt’s long-standing Fasnet tradition.

A longer hiking route in the Böblingen destination

The SCULPTOURA offers a regional perspective within the wider Böblingen destination: its main route, about 65 kilometres long, runs from Waldenbuch via Weil der Stadt to Leonberg and combines nature, art and outdoor activity. Compared with the 10.1-kilometre Planet Trail, it is the considerably longer option. This difference helps you choose the right scale for active days without conflating the two routes into a single tour.

Choose accommodation to suit your travel plans

If you want to combine several themes, factor the time needed for your planned stay into your arrangements.

Discover more destinations: Hausen An Der Würm, Schafhausen, Holzgerlingen, Leonberg, Waldenbuch, Magstadt, Nufringen, Steinenbronn.

View the wider travel overview: Böblingen.