Calw is a town in the Black Forest that has preserved the historic half-timbered buildings of the center and several interesting monuments, including the ruins of a Romanesque monastery. The picturesque, mountainous surroundings invite to walks and hikes, and there is a small health resort in the Hirsau district.
The history of Calw dates back to the 11th century, and the town developed in the Middle Ages as a thriving trade and craft center. Later, it also became a rafting center, and the rafts with goods were floated on the Nagold River flowing through the city.
In 1877, Herman Hesse was born in Calw, a Nobel Prize-winning writer and poet, author of, among others, Steppe Wolf. The town is home to his family home and the Herman Hesse Museum.
Thanks to the fact that Calw did not suffer too much during World War II, you can still admire the beautifully preserved center with half-timbered houses here. They surround a small, paved market square, and there are numerous restaurants and cafes on the ground floors.
The greatest attraction and the most important monument of Calw are the Ruins of the Hirsau Monastery, with a preserved Romanesque tower and a small Marian chapel. There is also the Hirsau Monastery Museum. Nearby you can visit the spa park founded in the 19th century in the place where there are springs of thermal waters. Currently, they are used in several small bathing areas.
