12 of 12: My September 12, 2023

Updated on March 7, 2024 by Angelika

12 of 12 - the 12th of the month in 12 pictures - has become a beloved tradition among the bloggers of The Content Society (and far beyond). I have planned to make an excursion in my region on this day, weather permitting. It's good for me - I'm not sitting at the PC all day - and my travel blog - I get to know my home region better and collect material for new blog posts.

As always, my day starts with a pot of black tea. Since this will be the last sunny late summer day for the time being, I decide to drive to Herrenberg. That's only 20 kilometers away and I loved living there from 2005 to 2008. But then I moved back to Sindelfingen because of the shorter distance to my workplace.

But before the excursion I started my PC. In the Blogger program The Content Society September is about SEO-optimized blog posts. I ask ChatGPT for some suggestions for a catchy headline for my planned article about the 50 most beautiful regions in Germany. I haven't found the right one yet, but I can start working with the results ...

Upon my arrival at Herrenberg, the market is already being tidied up. Herrenberg is located on Germany's Half-Timbered Houses Route and is considered one of the most beautiful half-timbered towns in Baden-Württemberg. Isn't this a magnificent market square?

I climb the steep old town stairs in the midday heat up to the collegiate church. There are some interesting signposted circular routes through the old town,such as the "half-timbered path" or the "sculpture path" (with 25 works of contemporary artists). But today I just let myself drift through the alleys.

The collegiate church was built in two stages - in the 13th and 15th centuries - and was the first late Gothic hall church in Württemberg. Usually the church is closed when I go there, but today I was lucky. For the first time since my school days, I can look at the venerable walls from the inside.

One of the most important furnishings of the church is the ornate pulpit, in addition to the magnificent choir stalls, the baptismal font from 1472 and numerous epitaphs from the 16th to 18th centuries. The pulpit was made of sandstone by the Herrenberg stonemason Hanselmann between 1502 and 1504.

I climb the first steps to the tower, hoping to enjoy the promised magnificent view from up there and to have a look at the bell museum on the way - but no! I only get as far as the tower gallery, the door to the spiral staircase of the tower is locked - because of a construction measure, as I read on a notice, when I stand again in the vestibule. Here I can at least admire these two old bells.

The sculpture path leads me to the Schlossberg tower, where I am rewarded with a magnificent view over the city and the Gäu. Between the ruins of the old castle, few people are out today, but the only shady bench is occupied.

So I walk a little further from the Schlossberg along the orchard meadows in the direction of the Schönbuch Tower. I enjoy the peace and decide to take the tower tour - a circular hike from Herrenberg to the Schönbuch tower and back - on a less hot day.

Iced coffee always goes! I treat myself to one on the terrace of the ice cream café CIAO,where I have a wonderful view of the Herrenberg market square.

On the way back to the parking garage I admire the flower baskets and arrangements in front of GlücksKlee. This cute flower store already existed in my Herrenberg time. After my trip to Egypt in October, I will buy something nice for my balcony here!

For dinner I have fish with tomato salad, but I forgot to take a photo of my meal because was so keen on the food. Remains a photo of my current bedtime reading: My girlfriend Silvana Goldbach, wrote down her childhood and youth memories from the 1960s and 70s in her self-published book "Struffoli and Gingerbread House" , which sometimes make me laugh, but also bring tears to my eyes from time to time.