Waiblingen is a town of about 50,000 people in the Rems-Murr district of Baden-Württemberg, roughly 15 km east of Stuttgart. It is the kind of well-preserved Swabian town that the region does well: a medieval core with half-timbered houses around the Marktplatz, a circuit of old city walls with battlements, the 15th-century Hochwachtturm watchtower, and the Beinsteiner Tor town gate dating from 1300.
The town is also known as the home of Stihl, the global manufacturer of chainsaws and outdoor power tools, founded in a nearby suburb. The company endows the contemporary Galerie Stihl on the Rems, one of the best small art venues in the region. The annual Waiblinger Altstadtfest draws visitors from the region for a summer street festival in the old town.
Waiblingen is easily reached by S-Bahn from Stuttgart's main station (S2 or S3 lines, about 25 minutes). It makes a pleasant half-day excursion from the city.