Stadtkirche St. Dionys, Esslingen am Neckar, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Stadtkirche St. Dionys is the main town church of Esslingen am Neckar, and its two connected towers shape the skyline of the old town. It stands on a site where several earlier churches were built, and traces of them can still be seen below ground today.

The story behind it

St. Dionys did not appear all at once. Several churches stood here before the present one, and parts of those older buildings survive underneath it, where they are shown in an underground museum. That layering makes the site a record of how the town grew around its church.

The towers have a dramatic chapter too. Around 1645 they were in danger of collapsing, and the builders prevented it by installing a cross passage between them. What you see there today is a steel girder, which replaced the earlier fix. For a long time the upper floor of the south tower was home to the tower keeper, whose job was to sound the alarm when danger came, whether an attack or a fire.

What to look for

• Look up at the two towers and notice how they are tied together, because that link is the legacy of the 1645 rescue.
• Find the south tower and picture the tower keeper living in its upper floor, watching over the roofs of Esslingen.
• Take in the church from the square outside, where its bulk rises directly above the surrounding old town buildings.
• Glance at the neighbouring buildings on the square, since the Kessler sparkling wine house stands right next to the church.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the exterior and the square, and more if you plan to see the inside or the underground museum. Check current opening hours and access before you go.
• Soft light in the morning or late afternoon shows the stonework of the towers well and keeps the square calmer.
• The Sektkellerei Kessler is right beside the church. It is described as the oldest sparkling wine cellar in Germany, and guided tours can be booked there.
• The church sits in the old town, so it is easy to combine with a wander through nearby streets on foot.

See it on a quest

The Devils Onion in Esslingen am Neckar brings you to St. Dionys on foot as one stop of a longer route through the old town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look at the towers and the square more closely than you would on a quick visit. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.