Schwäbisch Hall
A salt town whose fifty-four church steps become an open-air theatre stage every summer.
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Salt springs made this town wealthy from the Middle Ages, and it minted its own coin, the Heller, which circulated widely enough that its name entered German as a word for a small amount of money. The market square is closed at one end by a broad flight of fifty-four stone steps rising to St Michael's church, built in the 1500s; since 1925 the steps have been used as a stage for open-air theatre each summer, with the audience in the square below. The Kunsthalle Würth, a private gallery of modern and contemporary art, opened in 2001 and is free to enter.
What you actually see
- The church steps - fifty-four stone steps used as a summer theatre stage.
- The Heller connection - a local coin whose name entered the language.
- The half-timbered town - steep-roofed houses on the Kocher river.
- The Kunsthalle Würth - a free private gallery of modern art.
When to go
May to September, when the open-air theatre season runs on the steps; performances are ticketed and popular. The town is quiet the rest of the year.
Honest expectations
Theatre performances are in German and sell out. The town is hilly with steep lanes. Parking near the centre is limited.
Nearby
Stuttgart lies southwest; the Hohenlohe country surrounds it.
What to pack for Schwäbisch Hall
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
