Schiltach Voyage Tips and guide

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Schiltach is in German Black Forest ("Schwarzwald") region in the upper Kinzig valley where the Schiltach tributary flows into the Kinzig river. The whole medieval inner city is under monument protection. The marketplace includes the town hall, which was designed by architect Heinrich Schickhardt and built during the Kingdom of Württemberg. There are many half-timber houses scattered throughout the town that date back to anywhere between the 16th and 19th centuries. Schiltach is part of the German Half-Timbered House Road tourist route.

While the town has a picturesque medieval core, it is also a modern industrial city (with nearly as many employees as the whole population). Many famous companies, amongst them the world famous bath equipment manufacturer Hansgrohe has its corporate seat here, BBS International produces alloy wheels for motor sports. Irrespective of these factories, the air quality allows the town to be recognized as climatic spa. The municipality covers another small town (Lehengericht) and several farmyards and hamlets.

• 48.290368.343191 Tourist-Information Rathaus Schiltach, Marktplatz 6, 77761 Schiltach, ☏ +49 7836 5850, [email protected]. 

• 48.2912248.3449281 Schiltach station. Schiltach is located on the Kinzig Valley Railway, which runs from Offenburg to Freudenstadt. There is a regular Monday-Friday service, a different schedule for Saturdays, and an abbreviated service on Sundays and holidays.  

By road, when coming from Offenburg, take the B33 towards Villingen-Schwenningen and continue till one gets to the B294. From there, take the B294 towards Freudenstadt. This road bypasses the Schiltach town centre, but take the exit to the Am Hohenstein to get into town. The B294 can also get you into Schiltach when coming in from Freudenstadt.

There is a city bus, every half hour during the day. Adult tickets run to €1.50.

• 48.29028.343581 Marktplatz. (updated Oct 2018)
• 48.29018.340322 Stadtkirche. A Lutheran church (updated Oct 2018)
• 48.28998.34343 Pharmacy museum. (updated Oct 2018)
• 48.29048.343184 Museum am Markt. (updated Oct 2018)
• 48.29058.343775 Schüttesäge Museum. A museum covering the topics of lumber and forestry, and equipment used in these fields (updated Oct 2018)
• 48.29088.347266 Water-Bath-Design Museum. A museum that covers the designs of bathrooms through the ages, hosted by the Hansgrohe Group. (updated Oct 2018)

• A long-distance walking trail known as the Mittelweg spans the Black Forest from north to south (between Pforzheim and Waldshut), and passes through Schiltach as one stage of the trail.
• The Silvesterzug is a procession that takes place in Schiltach on New Year's Eve. As part of an old tradition, the citizens walk through the streets with lanterns from the marketplace to the town church and sing hymms of Pietistic origins. During the procession, the street lights of the city are turned off and replaced with pitch torches; the only electric lights to be seen are those of Christmas trees shone through the windows of private households. The local pastor gives a speech from the window of the town rectory, accompanied by the performance of a choir and trombone ensemble. Afterwards, the citizens gather at the town hall, where the mayor also gives a speech.

Schiltach holds several markets over the year, e.g. a farmer's market on the third Sunday in October, and an artisans' market on the last Sunday in April.

• 48.2902248.3427261 Boutique Hotel Adler, Hauptstraße 20, 77761 Schiltach, ☏ +49 7836 9575800, [email protected].