My wife and I are taking a trip to Germany and want to stop in Esslingen. Her mother's maiden name is Esslinger and a great, great.... grandfather comes from Germany. So we will be stopping there for a half day on our way to Fussen to see where we think he came from. I am looking for a recommendation of what to see in Esslinger if we only have a few hours.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I was only there once a number of years ago, but it was charming. I am a professional photographer and I was meeting a couple who was living in Germany.(they were Americans) I was photographing their 3 year old twins. We met at what I think was the 'square'. There was some beautiful architecture in the area... not sure the historical significance, but for photography it was a dream. We ate at a small café in the area afterward. It was beautiful and I hope to return. Hopefully Jo will chime in and give you all the specifics...
Posted by
Salt Lake City
1479 posts
There are a couple towns named Esslingen in Germany. If you mean the one on the Neckar River, it is very scenic and worth a couple hours just to walk about. We were there for the Christmas Market season and want to return some spring just to visit the town. Our pictures:
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Other-1/Esslingen-2013/35504333_SfNrdp
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
I assume Esslingen am Neckar near Stuttgart...
Like many of these preserved German towns, I would say just head to the Marktplatz and wander off from there. The two churches are typical of a town Esslingen's size, but worth a look if you're there. Part of the castle ruin remains, but I didn't get a chance to explore it.
Mostly, you can enjoy yourself just walking around and gazing at the Fachwerk architecture.
Just out of curiosity, since I once knew someone named "Esslinger" (hence, the reason I followed the brown tourist billboard off the Autobahn to have a look-see), and this is not a common name...is your wife from the Philadelphia area?
PS- I see that it's her mother's maiden name... never mind.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
8938 posts
Esslingen is one of my favorite towns. Actually all of the towns on the German Half-Timbered route are well worth a visit. Just stroll around admiring the architecture. I believe the church has some of the oldest stained glass windows in Germany.
http://www.esslingen.de/,Len/startseite.html
I would also think about booking a tour with Stuttgart Steps to get the best experience in Esslingen.
http://stuttgartsteps.com/esslingen/
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Esslingen is also one of only three towns in Germany that still has trolleybuses (electric buses powered by wires above the street), so keep an eye out for one outside the station.
(Not just for the novelty, but because they're very quiet - they were nicknamed "silent death" when they ran in Britain for a reason.)