Discover Plochingen

Historic buildings, art venues and Bruckenwasen Landscape Park offer different perspectives on Plochingen. If you are looking for a hotel in Plochingen, these themes can help guide your choice of destination: the town combines medieval landmarks with distinctive architecture, green spaces and cultural attractions.

Chapels, a Church and Renaissance Half-Timbering

The Early Gothic Ottilien Chapel dates back to 1328 and is the oldest surviving building in Plochingen. Around 1380, it was decorated with frescoes depicting 15 scenes each from the Nativity and Passion of Christ. The two sequences of images cover different parts of the same religious story.

The late Gothic fortified church of St. Blasius was completed on Kirchberg in 1488. Enclosed by a defensive wall, it is a landmark of Plochingen visible from far away. Its stained-glass windows were created by glass artist Hans Gottfried von Stockhausen in 1999. Another historic stop is the Frühmesserhaus, built in 1594 and a rare example of Renaissance half-timbering in southern Germany. The chapel, church and half-timbered house represent different periods and architectural styles.

Architecture and Art in the Town

The railway station is also part of Plochingen’s architectural history: it was built between 1905 and 1907 in the Art Nouveau style, based on designs by architect Theodor Fischer. The “Wohnen unterm Regenturm” complex showcases a different architectural form. It is a popular attraction; the 33-metre-high Regenturm rises above the building and is crowned by four golden spheres.

Also in the town centre is Tomi Ungerer’s “les toilettes”, a colourful building cube between Marktplatz and Schorndorfer Straße, right by the pedestrian zone. The town’s architectural features are clearly varied: from the Art Nouveau railway station and Renaissance half-timbering to a colourful cube and the towering Regenturm.

Landscape Park and Views

At Bruckenwasen Landscape Park, the Plochingen Steam Railway Association operates a park railway with scale-model steam or diesel locomotives. Its route through the park is 1.2 kilometres long. The meadow labyrinth is also located there, designed according to the classic original form, with seven circuits around a centre marked by an oak tree. The park railway and the labyrinth offer contrasting experiences: one focuses on a ride along a set route, the other on the classic form of the labyrinth.

From the Swabian Alb Association’s observation tower in Plochingen, the view extends across the Swabian Alb, the Schurwald and the Neckar Valley. The surrounding landscape and views thus complement the historic and architectural sights with vistas across several distinct landscape areas.

Culture and a Culinary Addition

Dettinger Culture Park is an industrial heritage site with artists’ studios and club rooms. The “Lange Kunstnacht” (Long Night of Art) takes place there once a year; for this event, the resident artists open their studios. If you would like to include the art night in your travel plans, it is best to check the event date.

A guided tasting of Plochingen Hansen wine can be booked as a culinary addition to an excursion, but only in conjunction with a guided town tour. The requirement to combine it with the tour is essential to this offer.

Railway Station and Train Connections

Plochingen is the terminus of the S-Bahn connection to Stuttgart. One of Germany’s busiest railway lines also passes through the town. Together with the Art Nouveau railway station, these facts make Plochingen notable both for its distinctive station building and as a railway hub. You can check the latest timetables when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Wendlingen, Denkendorf, Frickenhausen, Köngen, Wolfschlugen, Neuenhaus, Neckartenzlingen, Neidlingen

For the broader travel overview: Esslingen.