Calw, the birth place of the writer Herman Hesse, is a little town in the Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

Understand

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

By plane

Stuttgart is the closest main airport.

By train

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. For train journey information in English, check out the German national railway site.

By car

About 30 km from the A5 or the A81.

See

In Calw

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

• 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

• 11 Kloster Hirsau. 
• 12 Ruin Schloss Hirsau. 
• 13 Aureliuskirche. 

In the area

• Flößermuseum, Unterreichenbach. 

Eat

• 1 Wirtshaus zum Löwen, Wildbader Str. 20, Hirsau. Balkan cuisine, garden terrace 
• 2 Hotel-Restaurant Ratsstube, Marktplatz 12. 

Sleep

• 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. 

Go next

From Calw, explore other areas of Baden-Wurttemberg, or head south by train or car to Lindau on Lake Constance.

• Pforzheim