Esslingen am Neckar
Only 14 kilometers east of Stuttgart, we found Esslingen am Neckar quite spontaniously. When we realized the sun would set soon, we jumped of the highway and headed to Esslingen am Neckar. This way we could catch the final rays of sunshine or at least some more light that day. Why here? When passing by, I remembered Kurt Hielscher made two photos from here and we considered to stop here before, but that's all I knew. I was lucky to be able to park really close to the center in front of the Police Station, because someone was just leaving and the van fitted the parking lot.
The Frauenkirche, with a 72 meters high tower, is a Gothic hall church which construction started in 1321 and lasted almost two centuries till 1516. Unfortunately, the gate that gave entrance to the vineyard was closed and the fences secured with barbed wire so I didn't try to climb over it wearing a new jacket.
Frauenkirche & Neckarhaldentor, 1924. Photo: Kurt Hielscher.
Frauenkirche & Neckarhaldentor, 4th of January 2025. Photo: Casper Molenaar.
Die Frauenkirche from different perspectives.
The Neckarholdentor protecting access to Esslingen since the 14th century.
Esslingen counts just over 92 thousand inhabitants and has a pleasant city center to stroll around. After I went up to the vineyards just north of the center to rephotograph the Frauenkirche, I caught up with my family in NALI – Café am Rathausplatz for a cappuccino and some tasty pies.
Sektkellerei Keller. Welcome at Germany's oldest producer of sparkling wines.
Below: View on Esslingen am Neckar from the Neckarhalldenweg.
