A guided tour on the Röttinger Sonnenuhrenweg offers many opportunities to get to know different forms of the oldest timepiece of mankind.
Photo: Markhard Brunecker
Even if the Sonnenuhrenweg has become a little quieter lately and the festival season has had to be canceled, the Taubertal town of Röttingen is still worth a visit. Especially in times of Corona, the outdoors is in demand more than ever. A flagship of the only state-approved resort in the district of Würzburg is, in addition to the festival, the Kneipp Vital Way and the Wine Museum, the sundial hiking trail with over 30 exhibits.
The idea was born of an idealist to create a circular sundial trail in Röttingen. Thanks to the support of the then mayor Günter Rudolf, the idea could be realized. The Pentecost Sunday 35 years ago as part of the Röttinger Wine Festival, the Sundial Circuit was opened.
From the pocket version to the church tower format
The idealist and tinkerer was the trained locksmith and precision mechanic Kurt Fuchslocher from Bad Mergentheim. Over the years, he has designed and manufactured over 30 different sundial types in Röttingen alone – from the collapsible pocket version to the precision sundial suitable for the church tower – and set it up along the two-kilometer circular route, which is also perfectly accessible for wheelchair users. In May 2010, the sundial maker died at the age of 88.
“Even in the age of quartz and atomic clocks, dealing with sundials gives an idea of the beauty and size of sky mechanics.”
Kurt Fuchslochner, creator of the sundial path–
His sentence, which could not be missing in any of Fuchslochner’s guided tours, was very well received: “Even in the age of quartz and atomic clocks, dealing with sundials gives an idea of the beauty and size of the sky mechanics.” The committed sundial guide Helmut Cerdini was infected by this virus around 14 years ago. With great enthusiasm, he has been leading interested visitors through and around the European city since 2008.
His expert sundial tour starts from the vaulted cellar, just below Brattenstein Castle. Before that, a detailed PowerPoint presentation in the picturesque vaulted cellar gives an insight into the technology and functionality of the oldest timepieces known to mankind. Visitors are attuned to the roughly one-and-a-half hour tour before they go into nature.
Knowledge of sundials in theory and practice
Here, Helmut Cerdini not infrequently experiences the famous eye-opening effect when visitors see that what they have just heard in theory is also right in practice. Cerdini advises that you should bring some time to explore the very easy-to-walk path, which does not involve any major climbs.
One of the most interesting sundials is the “ringing midday sundial” modeled on a harp. Until a few years ago, it stood off the circular route at the former restaurant “Frankenstuben” and has now found an ideal location at the German Unity Square, in the area of the Tauber Bridge.
Zarathustra at noon
Kurt Fuchslochner’s masterpiece shows the Central European time and the Central European summer time not only visually, but also acoustically. When the summer has reached its highest level above the Tauber town, an excerpt from Richard Strauss’ “So spoke Zarathustra” sounds over a loudspeaker for five minutes. There are four timepieces of different designs and technologies in the local recreation area on Mühlbachgrund.
In addition to the Sonnenuhrenweg, there will also be a sundial room after the renovation in the old school on Herrnstrasse. Further watch models from the life work of Kurt Fuchslochner can be seen there.
Information and registration for a tour is available for sundial fans at the Tourist-Info Röttingen, Te. (0 93 38) 97 28-55 or with the sundial guide Helmut Cerdini privately on Tel. (0 93 38) 98 00 33.
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Röttingen
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Markhard Brunecker
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Atomic clocks
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Brattenstein Castle
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Castles
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Exhibits
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Richard Strauss
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Refurbishment and renovation
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Sundials
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States
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Wine festivals
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Wine museums
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World historical epochs
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