Calw

Hermann Hesse was born in Calw in 1877 and spent much of his childhood there; he later called its Nikolausbrücke the most beautiful spot he knew, a medieval bridge over the Nagold carrying a small Gothic chapel on one pier. The town appears, reshaped, in several of his books, particularly Beneath the Wheel. A museum in the market square covers his life and work, and a statue sits on the bridge. Calw grew on timber rafting and later on cloth, and the market square keeps a run of tall timber-framed and baroque houses, having survived a fire that took much of the rest.

History

Calw is first recorded in 1037. It became part of Württemberg in 1345, and by the 16th century it was the summer residence of the Dukes of Württemberg; on 1 January 1975 it was merged with Altburg, Hirsau and Stammheim as Calw-Hirsau, and on 1 January 1976 the combined town took the name Calw again (Wikipedia, Calw).

What to look for

• The bridge chapel - a Gothic chapel on a pier of the Nagold bridge.
• The Hesse museum - manuscripts, editions and biography in the square.
• The market square - tall timber and baroque fronts that survived the fires.
• The Nagold valley - wooded slopes running north into the Black Forest.

When to go

April to October; the museum closes Mondays. The town is quiet year-round. The Hesse anniversary years bring extra events.

Before you go

The town is small and quickly seen. The museum is modest in size. Much of Calw outside the square is modern.

Nearby

Pforzheim lies north; the northern Black Forest rises west.

Key facts