The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Oberderdingen

Seating area above the vineyards with a good view of the Bernhardsweiher below, created in the 13th century by monks, as well as the surrounding landscape.

Practical connection via diverse steps to reach the panoramic path above the vineyards, as part of the Oberderdinger Weinwanderweg.

Today, the Amthof in its entirety is a cultural monument of particular importance and is considered by historians and heritage conservationists to be the best-preserved monastic farmstead in Southern Germany. With the incorporation of the town hall into the tithe barn, the renovation of the rectory and other buildings, its significance has been expanded again and its fabric saved from decay. Thus, the Amthof will retain its importance as a cultural monument and focal point for the town of Oberderdingen in the years to come.

Staircase ascent to the Derdinger Horn panoramic trail

Here you can marvel at the best-preserved medieval monastic farmstead. For details on the individual buildings, see Wikipedia or information on site. Text from the information board (with site plan) at the "Hexenturm": "The 150 x 200 m Amthof is one of the best-preserved medieval monastic farmsteads; it was also the grange of the Herrenalb Monastery for the Kraichgau region. As early as the 10th century, the Weißenburg sources mention a Selhof manor in Derdingen. In 1216, Herrenalb, the Cistercian monastery in the Northern Black Forest, is named as the owner of the Pfleghof, and by 1252 it was the sole owner of all sovereign rights in Derdingen. The monks established a monastic office here in the mid-15th century. Even after the Reformation, the monastic administrative office of Derdingen remained the center of the Württemberg possessions in the Kraichgau. Both the monastic administrator and the Württemberg district administrator had their seats in the current rectory. Since 1534, the farm has been referred to as Amthof. In a major fire in 1693, the wine press went up in flames, the roof structure of the chapel also burned down, as did the Bandhaus (cooperage), a hay barn next to the tithe barn, and one of the 4 towers in the Amthof, the Diebsbodenturm. As late as 1710, the drawbridge at the Amthof gate was renewed, and iron chains were installed instead of ropes. In 1717, the church tower received its current pointed helmet instead of the collapsed Welsch hood, which contained a watch room. In 1806, the Derdingen administrative office was dissolved; since 1808, the administrative building has been the seat of the local pastor. As late as 1870, the moat around the Amthof wall was partially filled. It was not until around 1903 that the Amthof wall was breached near the Hexenturm to create a second access road to the Amthof. In the years 1984-1988, the Amthof was renovated in consultation with the monument preservation authorities. As a cultural monument of high importance, the Amthof was placed under monument protection. Since the conversion of the tithe barn into the town hall and the renovation of the administrative building, the former monastic farmstead has once again become the center of the community. A small exhibition on the history of the Amthof is shown in the Hexenturm!"

A central location in Oberderdingen. It's a great place to rest in front of the Amthof.

A very beautiful lake with plenty of shade. There's also a bench with a trash can. There should be more of these along the route.

Stonemasonry had been known in Stromberg since the 1st century AD. Sternenfels was devastated by the Thirty Years' War and stonemasonry came to a standstill. It was not until 1700 that stonemasonry flourished again and with it the grinding of leftover stones into sweeping sand developed. The increased need for cleanliness led to the construction of numerous sand mills from 1740 onwards. In the middle of the 19th century there were around 35 sand mills. During this period, 3 million litres of sweeping sand were delivered to Stuttgart alone every year. Despite this, the sand farmers were never wealthy and when the trade gradually lost importance due to increasingly different household materials (porcelain instead of clay and wooden dishes; hardwood parquet and linoleum instead of softwood floors), they became extremely poor. The final death blow came from the shortage of materials and the development of the chemical cleaning industry. The last sand mill closed in 1935.