
History at every step
The historical town centre
With its picturesque alleyways, magnificent town houses and Gothic monuments, Rottweil's historic town centre is a living monument to an eventful past.
Entering Rottweil’s historic town centre through the Schwarzes Tor, visitors feel history breathing down their necks. This gate was once part of a monumental fortification that has largely been preserved to this day, as was the adjacent high tower from the early 13th century. Built to protect the town from aggression from the west, today it offers visitors a magnificent view of the streets and squares of Rottweil.
A stroll along the grand main street takes you on a journey through the times: Here, proud town houses with ornately decorated bay windows, towering roofs and wrought-iron guild signs confidently bear witness to Rottweil's great past. An ensemble of historic buildings, among them the gorgeous town hall (Altes Rathaus) with its distinctive six-segment windows and the elegant 70-metre-tall Gothic chapel tower, reflects the wealth of the Rottweil middle class. Right in the town centre and yet somewhat exposed, surrounded by shady chestnut trees, there is the Heilig-Kreuz Cathedral, a majestic Roman-Gothic church with colourful choir windows. In 2022, it celebrated its 900th anniversary.
In spite of its evident historic patina, the oldest town in Baden-Württemberg is neither museum nor soulless backdrop – quite the contrary. Among the house fronts with their window boxes full of petunias and the rippling fountains, the cosy street cafés and pretty stores in the pedestrian zone have an almost southern flair, playfully bridging the gap between past and present.