Calw, the birth place of the writer Herman Hesse, is a little town in the Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.
Understand
[edit]Situated in the Nagold valley, close to the eastern edge of the Black Forest, it is a wonderful example of a traditional town in the Swabian region of Southern Germany.
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]Stuttgart is the closest main airport.
By train
[edit]Calw can be reached indirectly from Frankfurt main train station in around 2 hours and 20 minutes. From Stuttgart train station, the journey takes just over an hour with one change. In February 2026 a reactivated rail line from Weil makes the journey even easier. For train journey information in English, check out the German national railway site.
By bus
[edit]By car
[edit]About 30 km from the A5 or the A81.
Get around
[edit]
See
[edit]In Calw
[edit]The town has many timber frame buildings. Some were newly built after the large town fire in 1692.
- Marktplatz and Rathaus (town square and town hall).
- 1 Geburtshaus von Hermann Hesse (birth place of Hermann Hesse), Marktplatz 6.
- 2 Nikolauskapelle.
- 3 Haus Schnaufer, Lederstraße 39.
- 4 Kaffeehaus, Nonnengasse.
- Nagoldbrücke. historic stone arch bridge with chapel
- 5 Stadtgarten am Georgenäum.
Museums
[edit]- 6 Stadtmuseum im Palais Vischer, Bischofstraße 48. Town history collection
- 7 Der Lange, Im Zwinger 22. Old jail in a tower
- 8 Gerbereimuseum, Badstraße 7/1. Traditional clothing and furniture
- 9 Hermann Hesse Museum, Marktplatz 30. famous writer 1877-1962, collection of some of his things
- 10 Bauernhausmuseum Altburg, Theodor-Dierlamm-Straße 17. Farming before the first century
In Hirsau
[edit]In the area
[edit]- Flößermuseum, Unterreichenbach.
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- 1 Wirtshaus zum Löwen, Wildbader Str. 20, Hirsau. Balkan cuisine, garden terrace
- 2 Hotel-Restaurant Ratsstube, Marktplatz 12.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Hotel Rössle, Hermann-Hesse-Platz 2, ☏ +49 7051 790 00.
- 2 Hotel Alte Post, Bahnhofstraße 1, ☏ +49 7051 2196.
- 3 Flair Hotel Kloster Hirsau, Wildbader Straße 2, ☏ +49 7051 967 40.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]From Calw, explore other areas of Baden-Wurttemberg, or head south by train or car to Lindau on Lake Constance.