Wildberg: Shepherds’ Run, Monastery Route and Old Town

Shepherds’ Run: a tradition with distinctive competitions

Since the decree of 7 December 2018, the Shepherds’ Run in Wildberg has been part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The festival tradition includes the classic race, in which shepherds compete barefoot on a stubble field or meadow, the shepherds’ dance, the shepherding performance competition and the pageant. If you are interested in regional culture, there is more to discover here than a single competition: various performances and contests are all part of the festival. The Shepherds’ Run is therefore a good reason to make your interest in tradition and local history the focus of your trip.

Explore the old town and Monastery Route on foot

The historical trail is a way to explore Wildberg’s old town. The fourth stage of the Northern Black Forest Monastery Route offers a different perspective on the town: it leads from Calw to the former Reuthin Dominican convent in Wildberg. The route thus links Calw, the starting point of the stage, with a historical destination in Wildberg. If you enjoy hiking and are interested in monastic history, you can make this stage a focus of your trip. The trail and the Monastery Route offer different highlights: one focuses on the old town, the other on the walk to the former convent.

Wildberg is on cultural railway route 774, which runs between Pforzheim, Calw, Horb and Tübingen. If you plan to travel by train, check the current timetable in advance.

Plan your stay around your interests

When choosing a holiday apartment, it may help to decide first what you want to focus on: would you like Wildberg’s Shepherds’ Run tradition and old-town history to take centre stage, or would you also like to include experiences elsewhere in the wider Calw destination?

Discover more in the wider Calw destination

In the wider Calw destination, the Haiterbach nature discovery trail offers child-friendly topics about trees and their leaves, as well as geology at the quarry. At the animal long-jump activity, visitors can compare animals’ jumping abilities. The Schömberg barefoot park adds to these discoveries with a course about 800 metres long, made up of more than 20 different materials; check its seasonal opening hours before your trip.

History and outdoor activities offer further highlights in the wider Calw destination. At the ruins of Hohennagold Castle on Nagold Castle Hill, the foundations of various buildings in the castle’s inner ward, dating from the 12th century, are still preserved. There are well-signposted paths and routes in and around Calw where you can explore the Black Forest Central/North Nature Park on foot. At the site of the Old Blanket Factory in Calw, handcrafted single-seat hot rods are used for trips through the Black Forest; they can reach speeds of up to 90 km/h. If you would like to plan a ride, check availability with the operator before your trip.

The culinary programme in the wider Calw destination includes the bakery festival in Ebhausen. It takes place every year on the first weekend of May; as part of the programme, visitors can sample onion tart and wood-fired bread from the local bakehouses. Confirm the date for the year you plan to visit. In Calw, visitors can also experience coffee with all their senses at a coffee roastery and discover the secrets of the coffee bean.

Discover more destinations

Also discover Gültlingen and Sulz Am Eck. Discover more destinations: Haiterbach, Ebhausen, Schömberg, Enzklösterle, Bad Teinach-Zavelstein and Bad Herrenalb.

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