Location:

The medium-size centre Schwäbisch Hall lies in the heart of Hohenlohe-Franconia. The Marktplatz (marketplace) at the foot of St. Michael lies at a height of 293 m. The highest point is the Einkorn at 510 m above mean sea level.

Local authority districts: Schwäbisch Hall Bibersfeld Eltershofen  Gailenkirchen Gelbingen  Hessental  Steinbach Stutzdorf  Tüngental  Weckrieden

Geographic position: 49°06' North 9°44' East Altitude above sea level: 510m Area: 10.427 hectares

History:

The heights of the Kocher Valley were already settled in the Neolithic Age (5,000 BC). The operation of a Celtic salt works at the location of the later city of Schwäbisch Hall during the period 500-100 BC is proven. But the existence of a settlement can only be documented in writing with the (falsified) "Öhringer Stiftungsbrief" ["Öhringen Foundation Charter"], which probably stems from the final years of the 11th century AD.
The emergence of the city took place in several stages in the 12th century: Bishop Gebhard von Würzburg consecrated the newly built Michaelskirche [St. Michael's Church] and set up the Michaelismarkt [St. Michael's Market] in 1156. Starting in the second half of the 12th century, the "Heller" (halfpenny) coins were minted in Hall: Because they were really a low-grade currency that was easily replaced and widely disseminated. A document from 1204 designated Hall as a city for the first time.
The Gelbing 'suburb' burned down in 1680, and the majority of the core city also burned to the ground in 1728. Immediately thereafter, the city was rebuilt in baroque style, which still characterises the cityscape to this day.
Only in the 20th century did the city grow through the construction of new settlements outside the valley. Hall developed into an administrative location and service centre which was reinforced through the establishment of numerous schools, the foundation of the Diaconal Institution (1886, today's Evangelical Diaconal Works) and the war-related settlement of the Bausparkasse [Building & Loan Association] in 1944.

Economy:

Schwäbisch Hall - the second largest city in the Heilbronn-Franconia region; medium-size centre with higher central functions; administrative district town; location of all leading public authorities and service enterprises - is a dynamic economic location which is easily reachable via the motorway, federal highways, the Stuttgart-Nuremberg railway route and its own landing strip.
Global players - such as the Schwäbisch Hall Building & Loan Association, the Kreditwerk (credit institute), German Telecom, Optima (filling & packaging machines), Klafs (sauna construction), Recaro (aircraft seating), Inova, Ishida, Behr and the local industry with medium-sized enterprises, craftsman, haulage companies and service enterprises - form a good mix of business branches.
Moreover, commerce is an important growth motor in the Schwäbisch Hall service sector. Almost every third employed individual is active in commerce. The commercial offers are constantly growing - the purchasing power & market area encompasses 160,000 inhabitants. The "Innenstadt", "Gründle" and "Stadtheide" shopping centres are booming.

Attractions:

City Hall
The baroque gem at Marktplatz: After the second major city fire in 1728, the city hall was inaugurated in place of the former St. Jakob Church in 1735. The master builder was Johann Ulrich Heim. In the final days of the war the city hall was destroyed by a demolition bomb and rebuilt true-to-the-original in 1953.

St. Michael's City Church
The Michaelskirche, enthroned majestically above the Marktplatz with its famous staircase, was consecrated by the bishop of Würzburg on 10 February 1156 in the year after the imperial crowning of the (Staufe-dynasty emperor) Friedrich Barbarossa. Outstanding works of Late Gothic art to be found inside the church are the large Dutch Passion Altar in the choir (around 1460), the larger-than-life crucifix from the Ulm sculptor Michel Erhart (signed and dated 1494), the filigree carving of the many figures in the Sacrament House (from around 1438) and the Holy Sepulchre with its impressive mourning figures (1455/56).

Comburg Benedictine Monastery
The "Großcomburg", a former Benedictine monastery, was established in 1078. The extensive, fortress-like facility towers majestically on a hill. The Comburg's outer facilities - amongst other things, the impressive defensive walkway around the entire building complex - are freely accessible.

St. Katarina's Church
The Katharinenkirche "jenseits Kochens" ["beyond Kochen"] located at Gänsberg is probably the oldest church in Hall. It originally belonged to the Westheim parish and came under Murrhardt Cloister. In 1404 it became an independent parish church and came into the possession of Hall with the Reformation (1526).

Leisure activity & culture:

Schwäbisch Hall Brine Bath
The Schwäbisch Hall Brine Bath was completely renovated in 2003 and expanded by numerous attractions, including an exciting sauna adventure world and various therapeutic facilities. The salt content of the brine is 3-4 %, which according to expert opinions is actually ideal for the treatment of many illnesses.

Schwäbisch Hall Open-air Festival Performances
The open-air festival performances on the St. Michael staircase are inseparable from Schwäbisch Hall's identity. They were established in 1925 as "Everyman's Festival". Three productions on the staircase have formed the core of the festival since 1925. Since 2000 there are also two annual productions in the Hall Globe Theatre # a unique wooden rotunda on the Kocher River Island in the middle of the city.

Schenkensee Leisure Activity Pool
Spend a few pleasurable hours in one of the region's largest and most beautiful leisure activity pools: A 50 metre swimming pool, 10 m diving platform, freefall slide and other attractions are embedded in a splendid park landscape.

Museums & galleries:

Würth Art Gallery
The Würth Art Gallery, which was opened in 2001 by former Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, has developed into a veritable public magnet. The Danish architect Prof. Henning Larsen has cleverly integrated the modern architecture in the Hall Old Town. Alternating exhibitions based on the entrepreneur Reinhold Würth's collection are shown and accompanied by guided tours, lectures, concerts, etc.

Hällisch-Fränkisches Museum
The "Hällisch-Fränkisches" ["Hall-Franconian"] Museum - situated in the medieval town centre - spans seven historic buildings, amongst them the eight-storey Staufe "Keckenturm" (tower) and the former "Town Mill". The visitor is granted an insight into the history of the city and the region - from the geological origins to the present.

Hohenloher Freilandmuseum
The "Hohenloher Freilandmuseum" (open-field museum) in the city district Wackershofen is laid out like a village from ancient times. The historic buildings are set up true-to-the-original. The museum is ideal for families, for recuperative walks and for cheerful festivals.

City tours:

Experience 2,500 years of city history during a guided tour of the city: The history of the former free imperial city Hall comes alive, and individual impressions weave together into a harmonious coexistence of past and present.

Public city tours for individuals.
.are held every Saturday at 14.30 from May - October.
Meeting place: Touristik- und Marketinggesellschaft mbH Schwäbisch Hall at Marktplatz
Fees: Adults: 4.50 EUR; youths (12-16 years of age) + students: 2.50 EUR
children under age 12 are free; no advance notice necessary.

City tours for groups
60 minutes (without St. Michael): EUR 45
60 minutes (only St. Michael and Marktplatz): EUR 45, plus 10 EUR per group for maintenance of the church
90 minutes (with St. Michael): EUR 50, plus 10 EUR per group for maintenance of the church
120 minutes: EUR 55, plus 10 EUR per group for maintenance of the church
The maximum is to 25 people per group; all further people up to a maximum of 30 people are an additional EUR 2

Theme tours: 
"Up & Down the Stairs": 500-year anniversary tour of the "Grand Staircase"
"Hall by Night"
"Hall and Salt"
"Women's Stories"
"Jewish Life in Hall"
"Girls - Education - The Authorities"
"St. Michael with Tower and Roof Seating" 
"Hall for Kids Student Tour"
"Brewery Tour"
"Tour through the Fire Brigade Museum"
"Night Watchman's Tour"
"Focus on the St. Katharine's Suburb"
"Tour for Individuals with Restricted Mobility"

You can obtain information on the tours from the
Touristik- und Marketinggesellschaft mbH Schwäbisch Hall [tourism & marketing company]
Am Markt 9
D-74523 Schwäbisch Hall
Contact for City Tours
Tel: +49 (791) 751 386
Fax: +49 (791) 751 397