Vellberg: Historic Town, Fossil Trail and Wine Fountain Festival

Town History, Museum and Art

Vellberg’s Municipal Museum of Natural History and Local Heritage has been open since 1986. Its exhibits include Celtic finds from Stöckenburg and fossils from the Vellberg area. One focus is the Eschenau Muschelkalk limestone quarry: the exhibition includes dinosaur finds and other fossils. The museum thus brings together finds from the region’s past and evidence of natural history.

Stöckenburg also offers a distinct perspective on the area’s history. It is described as the oldest inhabited part of the entire region. The Protestant St Martin’s Church stands on Stöckenburg and is regarded as the original church of the entire region. The church contains a high altar from the Riemenschneider school. If you are interested in church art and the area’s historical development, you can take these topics into account when planning your trip.

Twelve sculptures can be discovered along the circular sculpture trail. It starts at the information board by the half-timbered Fiebich house, Im Städtle 11. The street gallery offers another form of public art: from July to October, it presents a temporary exhibition that changes annually and is created by artists from Vellberg and the surrounding area.

Discover Fossils and Explore the Area

The six-kilometre-long Primitive Turtle Theme Trail connects Vellberg’s old town with the site where the primitive turtle was found, at the Schumann quarry in Vellberg-Eschenau. At the “Fossil Box” activity station, visitors of all ages can search for fossils. The stated length provides a clear basis for planning your day; the chance to search for fossils at the station also makes the trail appealing to young explorers.

Vellberg has seven circular hiking trails, ranging from six to twelve kilometres. The stated distances make it easy to choose a route that suits your plans. Another route is the 46-kilometre BühlerTour: it runs from Geislingen am Kocher via Vellberg to Abtsgmünd, with Vellberg at its heart.

A wrought-iron landscape frame on Schönblickstraße offers a view of Vellberg’s skyline. Some hiking trails pass by it. If you would like to take in a view of the town while hiking, you can note this as a landmark.

Wine Fountain Festival and Outdoor Pool

The historic Wine Fountain Festival has been held every year on the first weekend in July since 1968. The main events are the delivery of the wine tithe from the Unterland region and the herald’s opening of the wine fountain. During the three-day festival, Württemberg red wine flows from the 1720 market fountain every year. If you are planning a trip around this tradition, the July weekend is the key date to keep in mind.

Nearby, Vellberg Mineral Outdoor Pool is located on Mühlweg between Vellberg and Talheim, surrounded by wooded hills. The outdoor pool has a beach volleyball court and a football tennis net. During the pool’s opening hours, swimmers can also play mini golf on 18 holes for a small fee. This adds sports activities and a mini-golf course to the options, with use of the course tied to the outdoor pool’s opening hours.

When choosing a holiday apartment, you can first consider what you want to focus on during your stay: the medieval historic town and its art, fossils and hiking trails, or the Wine Fountain Festival on the first weekend in July. If you would also like to explore other places in the area, you can find Mainhardt, Gerabronn, Rosengarten, Crailsheim, Braunsbach, Ilshofen, Wallhausen and Döttingen here.

For the overarching travel guide: Schwäbisch Hall.