Discover Calw: Nature, history and special experiences

Calw combines nature and cultural experiences with a variety of distinctive features: parts of Hohennagold Castle remain on Nagold Castle Hill; in and around Calw, well-signposted paths lead through the Black Forest Central/North Nature Park; and other places have their own themes, expressed through trails, museums or culinary traditions. Hiking, historic remains, nature topics presented in a child-friendly way and regional specialities offer different starting points for planning your trip.

Castle and trails: experience history and landscape

The ruins of Hohennagold Castle stand on Nagold Castle Hill. The foundations of various buildings in the castle’s inner precinct, dating from the 12th century, have survived to this day. The remains therefore come not from just one building, but point to several structures within the inner precinct. Anyone interested in medieval history will find a tangible connection to Nagold’s past here.

The landscape can also be explored along a variety of routes. In and around Calw, there is a wealth of well-signposted paths and routes for hiking in the Black Forest Central/North Nature Park. This offers a wide choice of hiking trails, in contrast to a clearly defined course such as the Schömberg Barefoot Park. The two formats offer different experiences: a network of paths on the one hand, and a specific trail with different materials on the other.

Nature experiences and activities with their own distinctive character

Schömberg Barefoot Park offers a course about 800 metres long, featuring more than 20 different materials. Take its seasonal opening period into account when planning, and check before your trip.

In Haiterbach, the nature discovery trail teaches visitors about trees and their leaves, as well as the geology of the quarry, in a child-friendly way. At the animal long-jump activity, visitors can compare the jumping power of different animals. For families interested in nature, this offers an engaging focus on plants, geology and comparing jumping abilities.

A very different experience is offered by the handmade, single-seat hot rods, which are used for excursions through the Black Forest from the grounds of the Alte Deckenfabrik in Calw. They reach speeds of up to 90 km/h. The single-seat format is very different from a hike or a walk along a themed trail. If you are interested, check availability with the operator in advance.

History, coffee culture and regional traditions

The local history museum in the former Fruchtkasten in Wildberg provides information about the history of Reuthin Dominican Convent, textile production at the time and the cultural history of rural clothing. The topics link convent history with everyday life and crafts, ranging from a former convent to textiles and rural clothing.

In Calw, visitors can experience coffee with all their senses at the coffee roastery and discover the secrets of the coffee bean. The Backhausfest in Ebhausen takes place every year on the first weekend in May. As part of the programme, visitors can sample onion tart and wood-fired bread from the local bakehouses. If you are planning to attend the festival in a particular year, confirm the date for that year; for the coffee roastery, it is worth checking the current booking conditions.

Choose accommodation to suit your interests

The experiences cover a range of themes: hiking trails and the nature park, a specific course, nature education presented in a child-friendly way, historic remains, museum history and regional treats. When looking for accommodation, consider which of these interests matter most to you. That way, you can base your choice on the experiences you actually want to include in your travel plans, rather than on a generic idea of a holiday.

Baden-Württemberg in a broader context

As a wider travel destination, Baden-Württemberg offers a broad natural and cultural setting. Large, continuous areas of woodland, such as the Black Forest, the Swabian Forest and the Odenwald, shape the region; around 40 per cent of its area is forested. Baden-Württemberg’s seven nature parks cover around a third of the state. Wellbeing is also part of the region’s appeal: Baden-Württemberg has 56 spa towns and health resorts, and spa tourism is well established, particularly in the Black Forest. This perspective can be useful if you would like to place Calw within a wider trip through Baden-Württemberg.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Dobel, Neuweiler, Altensteig, Enzklösterle, Bad Wildbad, Unterreichenbach, Calw, Bad Liebenzell, Bad Herrenalb, Höfen an der Enz, Oberreichenbach, Wildberg, Simmersfeld, Ebhausen, Neubulach, Bad Teinach-Zavelstein, Nagold, Schömberg, Gechingen, Althengstett, Haiterbach, Ostelsheim, Rohrdorf, Simmozheim and Egenhausen.

Go to the main travel overview: Baden-Württemberg.