Discover Rutesheim: City Forest, Culture and Leisure

Rutesheim is situated on a plateau between the Glems, Würm and Strudelbach valleys. The city forest, St. John’s Church and leisure park offer different starting points for planning your trip: you can focus your stay on trails in nature, architectural history or leisure activities. The newly redesigned town center and traditional festivals are also part of the town’s character.

City forest and trails of varying lengths

The 536-hectare city forest is ideal for walking, hiking and cycling. For a route with clearly specified distances, the Nordic Walking Park offers three marked trails measuring 2, 5 and 9 kilometers. As trail signs and routes may change, check the information on site.

Another option in Rutesheim’s city forest is the forest fitness trail. It has 20 stations and a total of ten fitness machines. The Rutesheim Boundary Trail, in turn, runs along the entire boundary of Rutesheim. These options offer different kinds of outings: the Nordic Walking Park specifies route lengths, the forest fitness trail features stations and equipment, and the Boundary Trail follows the town boundary. This makes it easy to choose the kind of outdoor experience you’re looking for.

Rutesheim Leisure Park

Rutesheim Leisure Park offers a range of activities. The high ropes course has 20 courses, six introductory courses and more than 287 challenges. It is located in a forest covering over 30,000 square meters, by the Rutesheim exit on the A8. If you’re interested in the high ropes course, you’ll find specific information here about its size and location.

The leisure park also offers mini golf, archery and an outdoor escape game. These activities differ considerably in format; check availability for archery and the escape game before your visit. Availability for mini golf may also vary. You can therefore make your choice based not only on the activity, but also on what is currently available on site.

Town center, St. John’s Church and festivals

The renovated and redesigned town center includes a marketplace, a library, cafés, restaurants, a hotel and specialist shops. It also features pedestrian zones and traffic-calmed streets and squares. Individual businesses may change, so check current information if a particular shop or service is important to your plans.

A cultural and historical landmark is the Protestant Church of St. John, which is designated as a cultural monument. It was first mentioned in records of Hirsau Abbey in 1147. The building still shows signs that the church was originally constructed as a fortified church. The first written mention and the architectural feature still visible today tell different aspects of its history: its early documentation and its original character.

Two traditional festivals also provide a seasonal guide. The Fleckenfest is traditionally celebrated in Rutesheim in June; the Sauerkraut Festival is one of the town’s traditional celebrations in early October. These timings give a general sense of the time of year but do not specify the program for any particular year. Check the exact event dates before your trip.

Getting there and choosing where to stay

Rutesheim has its own stop on the Stuttgart–Weil der Stadt S-Bahn line (S 6) and direct access to the motorway. For train travel, check the current timetables. If you’re looking for a hotel in Rutesheim, first consider whether you’d like to focus your stay on the town center, the city forest, St. John’s Church or the leisure park. Check the location and terms of any specific offer to make sure the accommodation suits your plans.

Discover more destinations: Perouse, Merklingen, Weil Der Stadt, Renningen, Gärtringen, Schönaich, Ehningen, Aidlingen.

Back to the regional travel guide: Böblingen.