Esslingen

My hometown
17 April 2004

I am now living in the city of Steinenbronn (not worth a slideshow because it's just a Kuhnest [One-Horse-Town, Whistle Stop]), but I grew up in Esslingen. That's my real hometown.

Esslingen is the perfect city ;-). It has around 100000 citizens, which makes it large enough to have everything important (shopping-wise), it has all the government offices, plenty of schools, and good connection on the transportation system. Yet, with it's 100000 citizens it's still small enough, to be 'little', not have any bad areas, not too much crime, not too much traffic, and you don't have to go too far to be on the outskirts for a nice walk in nature.

Also its location is just about right: Esslingen lies in the Neckar valley, which is one of the warmer regions in Baden-Württemberg (only topped by the Rhine valley region, which I call the Schwäbische Provence), it has the rather large river Neckar passing it, but it also has some regions that are rather hilly (100 to 150 metres higher than downtown Esslingen).

Esslingen also is only some 15 KM away from the capital of Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart. If you are in need of a real city, it's a half-an-hour ride by car! To Stuttgart Airport (which actually lies in Esslingen County) it's also just 30 minutes, to the Autobahn-network it's a bit less than that. For personal recreation there are many kilometres to walk or ride by bike, through hills, vine-yards, along the river, there's a little pet zoo to visit if you have kids, there's the well restored old town (Esslingen got first mentioned in a document from AD 777) with its half-timbered houses, stone towers, and the 'Burg', a castle-like reinforcement of the ancient city wall, located on a hill. There's the 'Württembergische Landesbühne' (the theatre of the Land), a big multiplex cinema, a gazillion of bars and restaurants, offering German and Schwäbisch specialities, or Italian, Spanish, Greek, Turkish or Chinese cuisine.

Jobs are not easily found in Germany these days, but you can improve your chances by living in Esslingen. Thanks to Esslingen having access to a river and railroad, its closeness to Stuttgart and the airport, and historically always having been important (once an Imperial City), there are many companies offering work. There's a huge Mercedes plant, high-tech firms like Siemens and Alcatel are there, and also an abundance of small-business and government offices. If you can't find a job there, you might still find one in the city of Stuttgart and commute the short distance.

So come and join me on a small sightseeing tour through the old town of Esslingen!

December 2004

I went twice with Carinne to the Christmas market (with attached medieval market) and added the pictures to the slideshow.

April 2005

In early April the weather was suddenly very nice and we went to Esslingen to take some more pictures, and then again at the end of the month, when summer was making a first appearance. The result is a few additions within the slideshow and many pictures of the Burg, following the Christmas Market pictures.

Link-Liste:

Tourist Office Webcam showing a nest with falcons in one of the church towers