Schwäbisch Gmünd ()
One of the great things about traveling by train through Germany is the possibility to break up one’s journey along the route. Smaller cities that can be seen within the space of just a few hours make for perfect jumping-off points. Recently, en route home from a long weekend spent with a friend, I decided to stretch my legs with a stroll through Schwäbisch Gmünd, a city of some 60,000 residents in the state of Baden-Württemberg, about 35 miles east of Stuttgart.
Of the hundreds of German towns I’ve passed through in my travels, seldom have I seen one so welcoming to train passengers. Directly in front of the station, informative signage invites new arrivals to discover the town along a set route passing by the town’s places of interest. As I strolled past colorful metal figures towering three stories high and a castle garden ablaze in the waning colors of autumn, I realized I’d hit upon just the right place to add color to an off-season outing.
As the walking route passed over a babbling brook, a leftward gaze revealed a golden metallic house with square cutout patterns still managing to sparkle despite overcast skies. The modern structure, home to a restaurant, reminds visitors of the town’s jewelry-making past. In front of me stood the castle-like Fünfknopfturm, or Five Button Tower, a former defense tower topped by five multicolored tiled turrets.
Carrying along the pedestrian zone leading into the town’s medieval core, creatively decorated shop windows, images of unicorns, a symbol of the town, and oversize plastic furniture installations instilled a touch of quirkiness to the ancient surroundings.
Schwäbisch Gmünd is known for its churches, two of which stood out. The gothic Münster of the Holy Cross impressed with its soaring nave and the perfect symmetry of its interior columns. The even older Johanniskirche, a Romanesque basilica dedicated to St. John the Baptist, had its very own leaning tower.
Market squares, the beating hearts of age-old cities, are usually lively places, but on this day, a federal and religious holiday, I had the space to myself. This gave me the time and space to admire the Marienbrunnen, a fountain adorned by a haloed Madonna. The Paulaner and Alpen Wirtshaus brewpub restaurants looked like prime spots to sample hearty Swabian cuisine, but alone and not particularly hungry, I pressed on.
The sight of a castle-like dwelling atop a hill lured me onward and upward, my efforts rewarded with a view of the sturdy brick Haus am Königsturm, a defensive tower turned youth center. Across the street and even higher upon the hill, I spied a steep and scary-looking slide that ran through a twisting tunnel before spitting its riders out. A tiny park next to the slide offered a lookout point with birds-eye views of the town below and the rolling hills that surround it.
With daylight waning and miles to travel before my day was through, it was time get back on the road. As I retraced my steps back to the station, the setting sun broke through the clouds, tracing golden outlines against church spires, trees and turrets. A gentle farewell, or an invitation to return someday and linger longer? Time will tell.
Schwäbisch Gmünd is known for its churches, two of which stood out: The gothic Münster of the Holy Cross, and the even older Johanniskirche, a Romanesque basilica dedicated to St. John the Baptist.
On this day, a federal and religious holiday, I had the space to myself, giving me the time and space to admire the Marienbrunnen, a fountain adorned by a haloed Madonna.
