Urach - timber framing, thermal baths and a hint of nobility

If a great novelist wanted to write a book about a small German town to reflect the time period from Feudalism up to the present, and if this book was to be filmed on site, one of the first tips to the writer would be, "Set it in Bad Urach".

Low mountain landscapes:
This small town in the heart of the Swabian Alb offers a diverse prism of history without having stood still in time. It offers a historical picturebook ranging from survival in prehistorical times to modern life in the present and its mobility in tourism. The touristic hinterland of Bad Urach is the Swabian Alb, a low mountain region which has an austere beauty. It is the nearby recreation area for the citizens of Stuttgart, which has been discovered both as a German holiday landscape and also by holidaymakers from other German states.

Excursions back to prehistory:
The historic panorama of Bad Urach starts back in prehistorical times: In the early Stone Age, the Alb was already populated. Near Wittlingen, a classic children's book from the last century is set which has remained a bestseller right into today's adult generation, "Rulaman" by the zoologist David Friedrich Weinland.
Wittlingen, a typical farm village in the Swabian Alb, has been part of Urach for some years, just like the villages of Hengen, Sirchingen and Seeburg.
Here is a tourist tip for visitors to Bad Urach:
Excursions back to prehistory - visit the show caves around Bad Urach. Always a holiday experience for children: for those who want to offer them a breath of adventure from the start, there are caves which have not been opened up, but are accessible.

Hohenurach Castle:
This next image from Urach's historic picturebook is still visible, a landmark of the Erms Valley town: Hohenurach Castle. It was built in approximately 1025, was never conquered and was a state prison in the late Middle Ages. Even political prisoners were held here, including the Italian master builder Frisoni, one of the constructors of Ludwigsburg Castle. The poet Nikodemus Frischlin died when trying to escape over the walls in 1590. Even that is a part of German history. In the 18th Century the fortress, unpopular among the citizens of Urach, was razed to the ground. A quarry was left in its place which some Urach residents used when building houses. The hiking route to the Hohenurach ruins is also a step back into Württemberg regional history.

Count Eberhard:
Around 1260 Urach became part of Württemberg. Nearly 100 years later, at the time when Württemberg was divided, the sourthern part of the region was governed from Bad Urach. And this meant that the Urach Castle in "Württtemberg's secret capital" was born, where Count Eberhard im Barte was born. In the ballad "Preisend mit viel schönen Reden..." (Praising with many beautiful words) by Justinus Kerner, the rulers of richer regions said to him, Württemberg's first duke, who although he ruled a poor land, could sleep without a care in the castle of any subordinate: "Your region wears jewels". Tourist tip: The Residenzschloss (Castle Residence), which has served all possible purposes, has been restored and is today a branch of the Württemberg State Museum. The Goldene Saal (Golden Hall), one of Germany's loveliest Renaissance rooms, is particularly worth a visit.

A hint of nobility:
Under Count Eberhard im Barte, Urach's construction developed quickly. Today, Bad Urach presents itself as the jewel of the Württemberg timber-framed building style. Its marketplace is one of the loveliest in Southern Germany. Bad Urach could not complain of much destruction during the war. Recently restoration of the Haus am Gorisbrunnen (house at the Goris well), one of the oldest and perhaps loveliest houses in the town, was completed.
A much loved and unmistakable photo subject is the late Gothic fountain in the marketplace which was probably built by Peter von Koblenz. Another important master is the sculptor Christoph von Urach, a town citizen.
Tourist tip: In the Bad Urach guide, two tours are described which both leave from the town hall. You can get to know the town and its sights - the late Gothic Amandus Church, the Beginenhaus (Beguine house) and the Spitalbezirk (hospital district), for example.

Urach prints:
Some people shudder painfully at the word "industry", particularly those who have been captivated by the intimacy of such a historically rich town. Urach has economic power; otherwise, the infrastructure which has developed and from which which visitors benefit would be unthinkable. Urach played a role in early industrialisation and even in time of hand-crafted articles. The first Swabian paper mill: in 1477, in Urach, the first printing shop, and three years later, only 40 years after Gutenberg's discovery, the first hammer mill: 1546, the foundation for the subsequent metal industry outside the town. The linen weavers developed thanks to the intitiative of Duke Friedrich I of Württemberg; the "Privilegierte Leinwandhandels-Compagnie" (Privileged linen trading company) exported as far as the West Indies.

Weberbleiche:
Tourist tip: If you go through the town with open eyes, you will discover traces of historic working life. In the town centre, the water wheel of the monastery mill turns. The "Weberbleiche" was a craftsman's residence which the duke had built in 1600 to attract weavers. Some workers from other communities were given the choice by the duke's advisor - they could either fight against the Turks or move to Urach. Of course they moved to Urach.

The Shepherd's Race, the old Swabian festival:
For a long time, Bad Urach has been a central administration point. It has always been a central location. Once a year, the shepherds came down from the Alb plateau to their guild festival. Many such guild days in Württemberg were open to shepherds from the Alb and Black Forest. The shepherds and their flocks are part of the image of the Alb plateau. The guild festival, the Shepherd's Race (Schäferlauf), has become one of the Alb's largest folklore festivals.
Tourist tip: Every two years, especifically in the years which end in odd numbers, the Shepherd's Race takes place in Urach. It is a colourful people's festival where lads and lasses who are shepherds and butchers compete with each other in a folkloric race. The "Sheph Dog Competition" (Leistungshüten) on the other hand is a real demonstration of the shepherd's trade.

The University of Tübingen and Bad Urach:
When small towns get a bad reputation: the horizon doesn't extend further than the church tower. Perhaps Urach's intellectual horizons are delimited by such messages. In the 15th Century, the first indication of a Latin school was given. The University of Tübingen was founded from Urach. The Reformation received important impulses in Urach. Reformists such as Johannes Brenz also came to Urach. A bible institute was founded. Its scriptures went as far as the Slavic regions of the Danube, mostly due to Primus Truber's translations. Close relationships extended as far as Slowenia to the reformation movement. Until 1977 Urach was the base for an evangelical/theological seminar. One of the first seminar presenters was Eduard Mörike. Today it is the former canonic college is a conference facility for the Evangelical Church of Baden-Württemberg. Urach was even a gathering place for left-wing intellectuals: After the First World War, the author Theodor Plivier lived here. In his circle of acquaintances, who were in Urach, were people like the author Friedrich Wolf and Johannes R. Becher.
Tourist tip: Visitors will not only find "animation" in such a town, but also intellectual stimulation. A rich programme of events is highlighted by the high quality musical events.
A baker from Urach is said to have invented the Swabian pretzel (Brezel). This legend is best told in the evening at the regular's table in the pub.

Tourism has added the newest growth rings to Bad Urach's tree of life. Whilst, at the start of the 16th Century, there was talk of a healing well, it was only in 1970 that, thanks to a private initiative, a healing water borehole was single-mindedly plunged down. No talking hot air here - the geological highlights of this volcanic zone had been known for 150 years and the perspective for getting thermal water was promising. The Bad Urach thermal spring comes from 769 metres under the ground and at 58 °C is one of the warmest in the country. Now, it is not only first time summer visitors who already grew to know and love Urach who come here. Not only is it the hikers who come here, but now visitors come here for a spa treatment. The healing publicity refers to rheumatic illnesses, joint problems, problems of the spine and back muscles, post-accident treatments, vegetative dystonia and circulation problems. Some visitors just come here because they like to relax in the thermal waters after a cycling tour or skiing.