In short
Rottweil is a rural district (Landkreis) in Baden-Württemberg with 140,237 people (Destatis, 31 Dec 2024). There is no university in Rottweil district itself; the nearest is Hochschule für Polizei Baden-Württemberg in Villingen-Schwenningen, about 21 km away. Summers average 17.3 °C and winters 1 °C, with about 959 mm of rain a year (DWD, 1991–2020).
Rottweil district in numbers
- Population
- Area
769.42 km²Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)
- People per km²
- Universities in the district
- Nearest university
Hochschule für Polizei Baden-Württemberg, Villingen-SchwenningenWhere Is My Uni? catalogue (opens in a new tab)
About 21 km away in a straight line
- Typical student rent
€5.20–€9.80/m² cold rentSource (opens in a new tab)
Full range of base values in Rottweil's rent-reference table, valid February 2025–February 2027, across building ages, equipment standards and locations. Applies to unfurnished flats; adjustments and additional costs apply. This is neither an asking-rent average nor a student-room price.
- Average temperature
9 °C a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)
- Rain
959 mm a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)
- Sunshine
1,722 hours a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)
- Frost days
112 a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)
About Rottweil district
Rottweil district lies between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb. Its small towns and countryside sit alongside a substantial industrial economy; the district identifies manufacturing and Black Forest tourism as important parts of local life (district profile (opens in a new tab)).
The towns have distinct identities: Rottweil has a historic centre of decorated townhouses and medieval towers, Schramberg is associated with watchmaking, and Schiltach has a preserved half-timbered old town (Rottweil tourism (opens in a new tab), Junghans museum (opens in a new tab), Schiltach background (opens in a new tab)).
Main towns
Rottweil
Historic town with the Schwarzes Tor gateway, decorated houses and the Heilig-Kreuz-Münster (Rottweil tourism (opens in a new tab)).
Schramberg
Watchmaking town where Junghans continues to manufacture watches and maintains its Terrassenbau museum (City of Schramberg (opens in a new tab)).
Oberndorf am Neckar
One of the district's centres of Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet, with traditional Narrensprung processions (district traditions (opens in a new tab)).
Schiltach
Black Forest town known for its half-timbered market square and historic timber-rafting and tanning trades (Schiltach background (opens in a new tab)).
Nearest universities
No university in Rottweil district itself — these are the nearest (straight-line distance).
There is no university in Rottweil district. Nearby study options include Furtwangen University's Schwenningen campus and the music university in Trossingen. Treat living here as a commuting decision: published regional timetables show journeys of around 20 minutes between Schwenningen station and Rottweil, before travel to your home or campus (DB timetable (opens in a new tab)). Local industry also offers another route into student life: Hansgrohe advertises dual study and apprenticeships, while Junghans offers watchmaking and commercial apprenticeships (Hansgrohe (opens in a new tab), Junghans (opens in a new tab)). This is worth considering if you prefer a smaller-town home or have a local placement; compare the complete commute and housing cost before committing.
Hochschule für Polizei Baden-Württemberg
Villingen-Schwenningen · 21 km away · 3 courses
Furtwangen University
Villingen-Schwenningen · 21 km away · 60 courses
Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen
Trossingen · 21 km away · 16 courses
Hochschule Furtwangen
Villingen-Schwenningen · 22 km away · 19 courses
Hochschule für Kirchenmusik der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart
Rottenburg · 37 km away · 7 courses
Housing
Do not assume that a rural location means an easy housing search. When checked in November 2026, Stadtbau Rottweil's rental page stated that no current offers were available and invited applicants to register their interest; this describes that provider, not the entire market (Stadtbau Rottweil (opens in a new tab)). The city's rent-reference table is useful for evaluating unfurnished flats, but does not establish a typical furnished student-room rent (rent table (opens in a new tab)).
The typical student rent we found, and what that figure covers, is in the key facts.
How to find a place
- Check Stadtbau Rottweil's rental page and submit its housing-interest form rather than waiting for a suitable listing to appear (Stadtbau Rottweil (opens in a new tab)).
- Search the Rottweil overview on ImmoScout24 for private flats and furnished rooms; compare what each advertised price includes (Rottweil rental search (opens in a new tab)).
- Use the local rent-reference table to assess an unfurnished flat, checking its building age, equipment and location category (Rottweil rent table (opens in a new tab)).
- If you study in Schwenningen, compare living near campus with commuting from Rottweil. SWFR's Schramberger Straße residences are in Villingen-Schwenningen, outside Rottweil district despite the street name (SWFR residence directory (opens in a new tab)).
Cost of living
Budget for utilities and heating separately from cold rent; the local rent table explicitly excludes these costs (Rottweil rent table (opens in a new tab)). The standard Deutschlandticket costs €63 per month in 2026, with an announced increase to €66.80 from January 2027 (Federal Government (opens in a new tab)). For an inexpensive cultural outing, the Junghans Terrassenbau Museum lists student admission at €4 with valid identification, checked November 2026 (museum prices (opens in a new tab)). Compare actual warm rents and transport needs with your university town: the evidence does not support a blanket claim that living here is cheaper.
Jobs & employers
Manufacturing is particularly important to the district's economy (district profile (opens in a new tab)). For students, Hansgrohe offers work placements, working-student opportunities and thesis projects; its Schiltach student-job directory includes engineering, controlling and marketing placements (student opportunities (opens in a new tab), location-specific directory (opens in a new tab)). These opportunities depend on your subject and availability. Hospitality provides another route: Hotel Bären in Rottweil advertises part-time and casual breakfast-service and housekeeping work (hotel careers (opens in a new tab)).
Typical student jobs
- Working-student roles and study-related placements at Hansgrohe; check the location and study requirements of each opening (Hansgrohe students (opens in a new tab)).
- Part-time hotel housekeeping in Rottweil (Hotel Bären careers (opens in a new tab)).
- Breakfast-service shifts and hotel minijobs in Rottweil (Hotel Bären careers (opens in a new tab)).
Major employers
TRUMPF Laser SE (opens in a new tab)
Industrial laser technology
Operates in Schramberg, where TRUMPF develops and manufactures lasers (current location directory (opens in a new tab), site description (opens in a new tab)).
Hansgrohe (opens in a new tab)
Bathroom and kitchen fittings
Schiltach houses the company's headquarters and the AXOR Center for Excellence, where AXOR products are made (Hansgrohe locations (opens in a new tab)).
Junghans (opens in a new tab)
Watchmaking
Manufactures watches in Schramberg; its careers page also describes watchmaking and commercial apprenticeships (City of Schramberg (opens in a new tab), Junghans careers (opens in a new tab)).
Getting around
Move is the shared public-transport tariff for Rottweil, Tuttlingen and Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis (DB's Move guide (opens in a new tab)). Regional trains connect Rottweil with Schwenningen; published Schwenningen-to-Rottweil examples take roughly 18–20 minutes (DB timetable (opens in a new tab)). Rottweil also has Gäubahn services towards Stuttgart; for scale, published RE14a journeys from Stuttgart Hbf to Rottweil take about 1 hour 40 minutes (DB route guide (opens in a new tab), Stuttgart departure timetable (opens in a new tab)). The Deutschlandticket covers ordinary local buses and regional trains, and is also accepted on the Gäubahn's IC services between Stuttgart and Singen/Konstanz (DB ticket coverage (opens in a new tab), IC exception (opens in a new tab)). Check your exact address, campus stop and evening return connection in the journey planner before choosing housing (Move timetables (opens in a new tab)).
- Main stations
- Rottweil — interchange for the Gäubahn and regional services towards Schwenningen (DB Gäubahn guide (opens in a new tab), regional timetable (opens in a new tab)).
- Nearest airport
Stuttgart Airport (STR)
A practical airport for Rottweil town: local accommodation guidance places it approximately 100 km away by road (Hotel Bären directions (opens in a new tab)). A public-transport option is the train towards Stuttgart followed by the S2 to Flughafen/Messe; check the complete itinerary for your flight date (DB Gäubahn guide (opens in a new tab), Stuttgart timetable (opens in a new tab)).
Weather & seasons
Long-term averages from the German Weather Service station Oberndorf/Neckar-Aistaig (7 km from the district centre), 1991–2020.
Winter
1 °C
88 mm rain a month
2.2 h sun a day
Spring
8.6 °C
77 mm rain a month
5.5 h sun a day
Summer
17.3 °C
83 mm rain a month
7.3 h sun a day
Autumn
8.9 °C
72 mm rain a month
3.8 h sun a day
Expect cold, frequently frosty winters and generally mild summers, with rain possible throughout the year. Waterproof shoes and layers are useful for commuting and weekend walks. Late winter brings Fasnet, while summer brings outdoor music through Ferienzauber (Rottweil Fasnet (opens in a new tab), Ferienzauber (opens in a new tab)).
Culture, language & food
Fasnet is central to local identity. Rottweil and Oberndorf are known for their Narrensprung processions, while Schramberg has the Da-Bach-na-Fahrt. The district describes overlapping Swabian and Alemannic traditions rather than one uniform local culture (district traditions (opens in a new tab)).
For evenings out, look at the programme rather than expecting a campus nightlife district. Rottweil's calendar includes theatre, jazz and summer concerts, with Ferienzauber events at the Kraftwerk and Wasserturm (city cultural calendar (opens in a new tab), Ferienzauber (opens in a new tab)).
Plan to use German for housing enquiries and everyday administration; do not assume an English-only arrangement will be available. As a practical learning target, B1 German can help with daily tasks, while B2 gives you more confidence for interviews and workplace conversations; these are recommendations, not universal entry requirements. The district lies in a transition zone between Alemannic and Swabian dialects, so local speech may sound different from classroom German (district language research (opens in a new tab)).
Local food
Schwarzwälder Schinken
Smoked Black Forest ham, a regional speciality often eaten as part of a cold Vesper meal (Black Forest tourism (opens in a new tab)).
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
Black Forest cherry cake combines dark cake, cream, cherries and traditionally Kirschwasser; ask about alcohol if that matters to you (Schmeck den Süden (opens in a new tab)).
Places & events
Places to see
Rottweil historic centre
Old town
Walk through the Schwarzes Tor and along Hauptstraße to see decorated bay windows, historic townhouses and the city's churches (Rottweil tourism (opens in a new tab)).
TK Elevator Testturm
Viewpoint
An elevator-testing tower with a public viewing platform overlooking the Black Forest and Swabian Alb. The tourism office announces a visitor closure for maintenance from 2–30 November 2026 (Rottweil tourism (opens in a new tab)).
Junghans Terrassenbau Museum
Museum
Explore Black Forest clockmaking, Junghans watches and mechanical musical instruments in Schramberg's historic terraced factory building (museum (opens in a new tab)).
Schiltach market square
Old town
The half-timbered market square and neighbouring streets form the centre of Schiltach's protected old town (Schiltach background (opens in a new tab)).
Neckar valley between Rottweil and Sulz
Nature
A protected landscape of river habitats, rocky slopes, woodland and meadows; follow marked routes when exploring (Regierungspräsidium Freiburg (opens in a new tab)).
Events
Rottweiler Fasnet (opens in a new tab)
Late winter; the 2027 Narrensprünge are on 8–9 February.
Traditional masked processions begin at the Schwarzes Tor and pass through the historic centre (Rottweil tourism (opens in a new tab)).
Jazzfest Rottweil (opens in a new tab)
Spring; the 2026 edition ran from 30 April to 16 May.
The programme combines Jazz in Town with concerts at the Alte Stallhalle; consult the organiser for the next edition's dates (Jazzfest Rottweil (opens in a new tab)).
Ferienzauber Rottweil (opens in a new tab)
July–August; the organiser announces 21 July–15 August for 2027.
Summer music and entertainment centred on the Kraftwerk and Wasserturm (Ferienzauber (opens in a new tab)).
The Schwarzes Tor gateway in Rottweil
The elevator test tower in Rottweil
Student experiences
First-hand posts from students in Rottweil district, read by our team before they appear.
Loading experiences…
Studying in Rottweil district: FAQ
Is Rottweil district a good place to live as a student?
It is worth considering if you prefer a smaller-town home or have a local industrial placement. Check the complete campus commute before signing a lease: regional trains connect Rottweil and Schwenningen, but the station journey is only part of your day (DB timetable (opens in a new tab)).
Is there a university in Rottweil district?
There is no university in Rottweil district. Nearby options include Furtwangen University's Schwenningen campus and the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen.
How do I travel between Rottweil and Schwenningen?
Regional trains link the two towns. Published Schwenningen-to-Rottweil journeys take roughly 18–20 minutes; allow additional time to reach your campus or accommodation and check your travel date (DB timetable (opens in a new tab)).
Is Rottweil expensive for students?
A reliable local student-room average was not verified. Rottweil's 2025–2027 rent table gives base comparison values for unfurnished flats, with utilities and heating charged separately; compare actual warm-rent offers before deciding (official rent table (opens in a new tab)).
What jobs can students find in Rottweil district?
Hansgrohe offers working-student opportunities, placements and thesis projects, including opportunities in Schiltach. Part-time hotel housekeeping and breakfast-service jobs are another locally documented option (Hansgrohe directory (opens in a new tab), Hotel Bären careers (opens in a new tab)).
Can I use the Deutschlandticket on Intercity trains through Rottweil?
Yes, on the Gäubahn section between Stuttgart and Singen/Konstanz, where DB explicitly accepts the Deutschlandticket on IC services. This is a route-specific exception, not nationwide IC validity (DB acceptance rules (opens in a new tab)).
More guides
Sources & photo credits
Last updated November 2026. Population and area: Destatis. Weather: Deutscher Wetterdienst. Universities and courses: our catalogue. Everything else was researched from the sources below and checked — how we research these guides.
Sources
- Landkreis Rottweil: district profile (opens in a new tab)
- Rottweil tourism: historic centre (opens in a new tab)
- Schiltach: historical and geographical background (opens in a new tab)
- City of Schramberg: Junghans (opens in a new tab)
- Landkreis Rottweil: Fasnet and traditions (opens in a new tab)
- Rottweil rent-reference table, 2025–2027 (opens in a new tab)
- Stadtbau Rottweil: rentals and registration (opens in a new tab)
- ImmoScout24: Rottweil rental overview (opens in a new tab)
- SWFR: residences in Villingen-Schwenningen (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Government: Deutschlandticket prices (opens in a new tab)
- Hansgrohe: student opportunities (opens in a new tab)
- Hansgrohe: student-job directory (opens in a new tab)
- Hansgrohe: apprenticeships and dual study (opens in a new tab)
- Hansgrohe: production locations (opens in a new tab)
- TRUMPF: Schramberg location (opens in a new tab)
- TRUMPF: Schramberg development and manufacturing (opens in a new tab)
- Junghans: careers and apprenticeships (opens in a new tab)
- Hotel Bären Rottweil: careers (opens in a new tab)
- DB: Move transport tariff (opens in a new tab)
- Move: timetables and journey planning (opens in a new tab)
- DB: regional timetable via Schwenningen to Rottweil (opens in a new tab)
- DB: Gäubahn services (opens in a new tab)
- DB: Stuttgart departure timetable, September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- DB: Deutschlandticket coverage (opens in a new tab)
- DB: local-ticket acceptance on Intercity trains (opens in a new tab)
- Hotel Bären Rottweil: airport distances (opens in a new tab)
- Rottweil tourism: cultural calendar (opens in a new tab)
- Rottweil tourism: Fasnet (opens in a new tab)
- Jazzfest Rottweil: organiser (opens in a new tab)
- Ferienzauber Rottweil: organiser (opens in a new tab)
- Rottweil tourism: Testturm and maintenance closure (opens in a new tab)
- Junghans Terrassenbau Museum (opens in a new tab)
- Regierungspräsidium Freiburg: Neckar valley protected area (opens in a new tab)
- Hochschwarzwald tourism: Black Forest ham (opens in a new tab)
- Schmeck den Süden: Black Forest cherry cake (opens in a new tab)
- Landkreisnachrichten: Rottweil dialect research (opens in a new tab)
- Wikimedia Commons: Schiltach market-square view (opens in a new tab)
- Wikimedia Commons: Schwarzes Tor (opens in a new tab)
- Wikimedia Commons: Rottweil test tower (opens in a new tab)
Photo credits
- Half-timbered houses on Schlossbergstraße seen from Schiltach's market square — Harke (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Schwarzes Tor gateway in Rottweil — Krzysztof Golik (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0
- The elevator test tower in Rottweil — Krzysztof Golik (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0
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