One day in a small Swabian town – Ellwangen

A typical small Swabian town in the south west of Germany is Ellwangen. Situated just 100 km away from Stuttgart and 17 km to the north of Aalen, Ellwangen offers some sights worth visiting and delicious Swabian cuisine.

The castle of Ellwangen

Ellwangen lies in the valley of the river Jagst. You can see in the cover picture one of its highlights -  the castle is located on top of a hill offering great views over Ellwangen and its surrounding valleys and hills. The castle is quite big and enables tourists to feel like being in the middle age. Also there is a museum inside, where you get to know more about Ellwangen and its history, referring especially to its castle.

In the end of July the Cultural Town Festival (Heimattage) takes place in the castle. It offers the chance to dive into a typical party atmosphere and culture with typical Swabian food, music and beer. The Swabian food like spaetzle, swabian ravioli (Schwäbische Maultaschen) or ox roast go pretty well with a litre (ein Maß) of Ellwangen Rotochsen.

Castle of Ellwangen

Schloß ob Ellwangen, 73479 Ellwangen (Jagst), Deutschland

Churches of Ellwangen

The baroque pilgrimage church Schoenenberg is like the castle of Ellwangen situated on top of a hill close to Ellwangen. The interior is impressive, for instance its details on the ceiling. The nave of the Schoenenberg church is 49m long and 23m wide, offering a moment of peacefulness and mainly characterized by stucco ornaments and by its high altar.

Another beautiful and famous building is the Ellwangen Abbey, which was the earliest Benedictine monastery established in the Duchy of Swabia.

Basilica of St. Veit

Marktpl. 1, 73479 Ellwangen (Jagst), Deutschland

Swabian cuisine in the town centre

The following picture shows the market square of Ellwangen at night. The town centre is characterized by clean streets and beautiful old buildings, forming a special kind of Swabian atmosphere. After sightseeing in Ellwangen you should check out some typical Swabian restaurants here. The Brauereigasthof Rotochsen offers accommodation and good hearty Swabian meals combined with the regional beer Rotochsen. Furthermore, the Stiftskeller is restaurant directly at the market square is worth mentioning.

Brauereigasthof Roter Ochsen Inn

Schmiedstraße 16, 73479 Ellwangen (Jagst), Deutschland