Besigheim, located in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg, is a town located at the confluence of the Neckar and Enz rivers. The town is surrounded on three sides by water. The earliest written documentation of Besigheim was dates back to 1153. Its ownership passed through various hands and was ravaged by war numerous times over the centuries. Most of the military occupations were imposed by the French armies, the last of which was during the Napoleonic Wars, which ended in 1815.
The old town once boasted a castle, but it was destroyed over a period of more than 50 years following Louis XIV's Nine Years' War (War of the Palatine Succession). A couple of towers still remain in the old town amidst a number of other beautiful, historical buildings. I found some of the ancient stone manors found in the town calling me to photograph them. I gladly obliged.
Not only was Besigheim owned by several different German princes, it was for a time owned by the Hapsburgs as well.
The colorful Fachwerk (half-timbered) buildings are a favorite of mine, which can be found all over Germany. The old Rathaus (Town Hall) above shows an example of this.
It was nice that my first visit there was a sunny autumn day. The creeper making its way all over a number of walls could not have been more splendidly bedecked in glorious shades of reds, yellows and more. The sun and the blue skies made for marvelous backdrops to photographs.
The Schoch Tower, built somewhere around 1200, and the old stone house above are principal landmarks in the upper part of the Old Town.
One of several very old homes located in the upper Old Town. Note the size of the windows and simple carving around the doorway.
Besigheim is definitely worth the visit. It can be reached from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (main station) via the R4 line within approximately 25 minutes. Trains leave every 30 minutes on the quarter hour.
