Munzingen: Vineyards, Chapels and History

Munzingen combines a distinctive historic town centre with a history of churches and chapels, as well as paths through the vineyards of the Tuniberg. Here, architectural history and landscape appeal to different travel interests. The unique town centre includes St. Stephen’s Church, the “Round Tower” as part of the former moated castle, Kageneck Castle, Hotel Schloss Reinach, a former estate, and the Schlossbuckhalle.

Churches and Architectural History in Munzingen

At St. Stephen’s parish church, the tower and choir date from the Late Gothic period. The nave was remodelled and extended in 1747. The building therefore reveals several different historical phases: the Late Gothic sections and the later remodelling of the nave belong to different stages of its architectural history.

The chapels also tell a story of change over time. St. Erentrudis Chapel was rebuilt on the Tuniberg in 1870; its predecessor was St. Apollonia Chapel. Munzingen Castle is regarded as a building that bridges the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and as the most monumental of the former Habsburg estates in the Breisgau. Together with the “Round Tower”, Kageneck Castle and the other features of the town centre, it creates a multifaceted picture of local architecture. The buildings differ both in their function and in their historical period.

Vineyards and Paths on the Tuniberg

The vineyards of the Clemens Lang winery lie at the southern end of the Tuniberg, in the Munzinger Kapellenberg single vineyard. Viticulture gives the landscape a specific local connection: the name of this single vineyard links Munzingen with a particular area of the Tuniberg.

In the area around Munzingen, you can explore the 10-kilometre Tuniberg Höhenweg on foot or by bike. Along the way, it offers views of the Black Forest, the Vosges and the Kaiserstuhl. Another route to follow is “Through the Vineyards of the Tuniberg from Opfingen to Munzingen”, which ends in Munzingen. The route to Munzingen passes through the Tuniberg vineyards, reaches its highest point at 312 metres and goes by the picturesque St. Erentrudis Chapel. This route thus brings together the landscape, a high point and a chapel, with Munzingen as its destination. Trail conditions and signage may vary.

After your tour, bus route 32 runs from Munzingen back to Opfingen. Check the current timetable before your return journey. This gives you a specific endpoint for planning; check the current service close to your travel date.

Freiburg im Breisgau: Urban Culture in the Wider Travel Destination

The wider travel destination of Freiburg im Breisgau offers additional, distinctly urban experiences. Freiburg’s Bächle are water channels that run through many of the lanes in the city’s Old Town. In the Upper Old Town, Gewerbekanal, Gerberau, Fischerau and Insel are among the areas included in a cobblestone-street walking tour. These urban spaces offer a different focus from the local history and vineyard paths that characterise Munzingen.

Freiburg Minster also offers striking historical details: its west tower is 116 metres high. The 750-year-old Hosanna bell weighs three tonnes and is one of Germany’s oldest Angelus bells. The extensive art and cultural history collection at the Augustiner Museum spans the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. The Documentation Centre for National Socialism Freiburg presents local history from 1918 to the present day across three floors. Interactive exhibitions, a former air-raid shelter and biographies of contemporary witnesses offer insights into Freiburg’s reckoning with the Nazi era.

The Seepark Freiburg offers another highlight within the wider travel destination. It features a bathing lake, restaurants, a swimming pool, playgrounds and a mini-golf course; visitors can explore the lake by pedal boat. Weather and operations may affect the availability of pedal boats, so check current availability before planning a visit. Along various themed trails on Schlossberg, information boards and 3D display cases explain moments from its history. Trail conditions may change here, too.

When looking for a place to stay, you can start by considering which themes will shape your trip: Munzingen’s local history and Tuniberg paths, or Freiburg’s Old Town, museums and parks. Both options offer different starting points for planning your trip, without needing to combine architectural history, landscape and urban experiences into a single excursion.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Müllheim, Breisach am Rhein, Badenweiler, Eschbach, Gundelfingen, Glottertal, Ballrechten-Dottingen, Oberrimsingen.

Go to the main travel overview: Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald.