Weil der Stadt

Weil der Stadt Review

Weil der Stadt, a former imperial city, is in the hills 17 km (10 mi) southeast of Pforzheim. This small, sleepy town of turrets and gables has only its well-preserved city walls and fortifications to remind you of its onetime importance.

Kepler Museum. The astronomer Johannes Kepler, born here in 1571, was the first man to track and accurately explain the orbits of the planets, although most experts agree that Kepler stole his calculations from, and then quite possibly murdered, Tycho de Brahe. And, appropriately, the town now has a planetarium to graphically show you what he learned. The little half-timber house in which he was born is now the Kepler Museum in the town center. It's devoted to his writings and discoveries. Keplerg. 2, Pforzheim, D-71263. 07033/6586. www.kepler-museum.de. €2. Thurs. and Fri. 10-noon and 2-4, Sat. 11-noon and 2-4, Sun. 11-noon and 2-5.