About
The charming little town is rich in cultural history and delights its guests with the “Black Forest,” which rises directly from the town garden up toward the mountains. From a dazzling history and former prosperity, a picturesque half-timbered town with hundreds of listed buildings has remained, continuing to inspire visitors to this day.
In the historic town and its surrounding villages live warm-hearted, cheerful Calw residents who enjoy life in and around their home and make the region pulse with vitality.
The Hermann Hesse Walking Tour:
Hermann Hesse is one of the most widely read authors in the German language. In his hometown of Calw in the Black Forest, many buildings commemorate the Nobel Prize winner and his stories. The city walking tour shows places from his life and locations that he described so inimitably in his narratives.
Perhaps the finest compliment Calw has ever received is owed to the poet of world-famous novels and stories such as “Beneath the Wheel,” “Demian,” “Siddhartha,” and “Steppenwolf,” who was born here on the market square, directly opposite the town hall, on July 2, 1877: "Between Bremen and Naples, between Vienna and Singapore, I have seen many a pretty town, towns by the sea and towns high on mountains, and from many a fountain I, as a pilgrim, have taken a drink that later became for me the sweet poison of homesickness. But the most beautiful town of all that I know is Calw on the Nagold, a small, old, Swabian Black Forest town." Even today, the image of the town center is shaped by the past—a stroll through the winding alleys and narrow streets, over the Nikolaus Bridge, the market square, or up the countless steps of the stone stairways lets you see Calw through Hermann Hesse’s eyes. Discover the quiet corners that Hermann Hesse loved!
You can find lots of information about Calw and Hermann Hesse at www.calw.de/Hermann-Hesse-Stadt !
Another tour in our district of Hirsau: Women’s Paths through Hirsau
In Hirsau, women became socially active, but were often forgotten by history. A circular route with ten information boards is now intended to change this, honoring their social, municipal, and economic work.
Since the time the monastery was founded, women have been visibly active in Hirsau, mostly in the background, supporting men. This important social activity is often forgotten or underappreciated, and sometimes even undervalued. Especially in the social sphere, there is a lack of recognition.
The project group “Women’s History in Calw” set itself the goal of changing this and published a brochure in 2007: “Women’s Paths through Hirsau.” It presented ten stations that highlight the value of women’s work for society.
The local head of Altburg and Hirsau then had the idea of turning this booklet into a walkable route with ten information boards, modeled on the existing tours in Calw and Altburg. The association C.A.L.W. has extensive experience and supports the town of Calw. Funding from the LEADER action group Northern Black Forest keeps the financing within a manageable framework.
Dr. Eberhard Bantel
Women’s Paths through Hirsau
Have fun discovering!
