Hilsbach: Local History and the Eichelberg Discovery Trail

Hilsbach combines a historic townscape with the “Hilsbacher Eichelberg” discovery trail. When planning your stay, you can focus on two distinct interests: the town’s development or the wine-growing landscape and the trail route. The trail starts in Hilsbach at the Sportzentrum/Waldsee car park on Breite Straße. It is about five kilometres long and has 20 stations with information about the Eichelberg and its surroundings.

Hiking on the Eichelberg

The trail leads through a wine-growing area where wine has been cultivated since the Middle Ages. It follows well-maintained forest and country paths without any significant climbs. From the viewing platform, you can see the surrounding Kraichgau landscape. Burg Steinsberg rises to the east; in good weather, the view stretches across the vineyards to Heilbronn and, on the horizon, the Palatinate Forest. The trail thus combines views of the landscape with the history of wine-growing on the Eichelberg.

Hilsbach’s Townscape and Church History

Hilsbach’s historic townscape is characterised by dense development extending across the upper and lower towns. The Counts of Oettingen moved the settlement’s centre to the hill. A new church was built there between 1250 and 1300 and later dedicated to St. Michael. St. Michael’s Church was shared by the Protestant and Catholic congregations until the new Catholic church in Hilsbach was built in 1950/51. The town’s history therefore features both the medieval relocation of the settlement’s centre and the later shared use of the church as distinct developments.

More topics in the wider Sinsheim destination

The wider Sinsheim destination offers more distinct attractions. The Technik Museum Sinsheim displays a Tupolev, a Concorde and more than 3,000 other exhibits. The KLIMA ARENA has a glacier cinema; its Tjorven bistro serves exclusively plant-based dishes made with regional ingredients. Check the bistro’s latest information before visiting, as visitor information may change.

The city museum in Sinsheim invites you to explore the history of the city and the region. At the museum’s Lichdi Laden, you can experience what shopping was like in the past. At Stift Sunnisheim, a tour of about an hour is offered on the eventful history of the former monastery complex and the former collegiate and monastery church. Check the dates before your trip.

You can also explore Burg Steinsberg on public tours or tours booked individually. It stands on a basalt cone between Sinsheim and Weiler; from the keep, you can see the surrounding countryside. Check tour dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Ketsch, Neidenstein, Edingen-Neckarhausen, Eberbach, Heddesheim, Schönbrunn, Zuzenhausen, Neulußheim

To the wider travel overview: Rhine-Neckar District.