Sternenfels

History

The former Sternenfels castle was probably founded at the start of the 11th century by the von Sternenfels family. Derived from high German nobility they were related with the Herren von Kürnbach and mentioned as early as the 12th century. A Cunradus liber de Sterrenvils took over the realm of Kürnbach as well. 1252 two sons of Cunradus, Cunradus und Wernherus nobiles de Sternvels joined the fatal last voyage of Conradin to Italy.

Geography

Sternenfels is located on an exposed western spur of the east-west running Stromberg hills. The watershed between Rhine and Neckar rivers as well as the border between Kraichgau and Stromberg passes near Sternenfels. The Village of Diefenbach is the site of the Metter spring which runs via the Enz River to the Neckar, while the Kraich spring in Sternenfels ends in the Rhine river. Sternenfels is at the crossroads of four different counties - (Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Ludwigsburg und Enzkreis). It is the starting or end point for several hiking or walking trails as well as part of Württemberg Wine route from Weikersheim to Metzingen. The former Roman road between Stettfeld and Bad Cannstatt probably crossed Sternenfels. The municipality became a local tourist destination with several inns and (former) breweries located around the town center. The climate of Sternenfels is generally mild due to the influence of the neighboring Kraichgau hills. The castle hill, with a height of about , allows portions of Sternenfels to overlook the neighboring Kraichgau. The major rain storms generally happen earlier in the year than in the rest of the region, though this helps the local vineyards. Generally the local soil is comparatively poor and is mainly used for forestry.

Most-observed species

• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,022
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,905
• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,879
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,807
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,699
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,498
• Zoropsid spider

  Zoropsis spinimana (Dufour, 1820) · Arachnida
  1,415
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,414

Most recent

• M 3.4 — 2022-10-16
  Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
• M 4 — 2022-07-09
  2 km NNE of Grosselfingen, Germany
• M 4.1 — 2021-06-26
  2 km SE of Hœrdt, France
• M 3.6 — 2014-05-17
  2 km ESE of Pfungstadt, Germany
• M 2.5 — 2008-12-12
  2 km ESE of Nehren, Germany
• M 2.8 — 2008-11-25
  1 km S of Steinmauern, Germany