Staufen im Breisgau: Schlossberg, Town History and Museums

Staufen im Breisgau can be discovered through its striking contrasts: Schlossberg, with the castle ruins of the Lords of Staufen, makes the town recognizable from afar; at the same time, the market square, Marktstraße—now the main street—rows of houses, small streams and fountains define the planned historic town layout. The entire ensemble is protected as a heritage site worthy of preservation. Schlossberg is also home to an outstanding vineyard. From the castle, the view extends across the entire town layout. Seen from above and through its individual features, the same place thus comes together through two different perspectives.

Town History and Craftsmanship in the Museums

The town museum in the town hall presents Staufen’s history through historical objects. Its exhibition highlights include Staufen Castle, the figure of the legendary black magician Johannes Faust, the history of the crafts, and contemporary cultural life in Staufen. Historical topics are presented alongside a look at the town’s cultural life.

The Staufen Ceramics Museum is housed in a former potter’s house, the only surviving evidence of the town’s pottery tradition, which has flourished since the Middle Ages. The workshop of the Maier-Bregger potter family is completely preserved: the clay pit, potter’s wheel, drying rack and wood-fired kilns illustrate the workshop’s various components. Since 1991, the building has been a ceramics museum with a reputation extending beyond the region. Every year, the Baden State Museum in Karlsruhe presents a special exhibition there featuring ceramics from all periods. The perspective thus extends from local craft traditions to ceramics from different eras.

The cast-iron bridge over the Neumagen near Café Decker also tells the story of how its use changed. It was made in 1845 as part of the Baden Main Line for a railway crossing near Kenzingen and relocated to Staufen in 1871 to serve as a road bridge. Today, it is one of the few surviving cast-iron bridges in Germany. Its design is distinctive: the roadway is suspended between the side girders. This feature makes the bridge a destination in its own right for anyone interested in historic construction methods as well as town history and museum visits.

Tango, Activities and Events

Opened in 2014 in the Kapuzinerhof Staufen, the Tango & Bandoneon Museum showcases the unique Steinhart Collection, with 450 bandoneons and extensive documents on the history of tango. The sponsoring association also offers classes in Argentine tango, as well as concerts and film screenings. The museum’s scope therefore extends beyond the collection to include activities related to dance, music and film.

For an active outing, the Staufen High Ropes Course, with its nine courses in the Staufen town forest, offers a contrast to the museums. It can be reached by the Münstertal Railway, followed by a short, steep walk of just under ten minutes. When planning your day, take this route into account. Staufen also has a railway line operated by the South West German Railway Company (SWEG). If you are planning to travel by train, check the timetable for your travel date.

“Wine and Music” is a three-day street festival: from Friday evening through Sunday, Staufen’s winemakers and restaurateurs offer fine wines and selected delicacies. Live music is performed on stages at the market square, Kronenplatz and the Weinbrunnen. If the festival is a reason for your trip, check the event dates in advance. This makes it easy to distinguish a visit focused on the festival from a stay centered on the townscape, museums or high ropes course.

When choosing accommodation, you can start by considering which aspects of Staufen you want to shape your stay. Those particularly interested in town history and craftsmanship can focus on the museums and the protected ensemble. Anyone planning to visit the high ropes course should account for the steep footpath when planning their day; for a visit around “Wine and Music,” the event dates are key. These different priorities offer practical guidance when looking for suitable accommodation, without limiting your stay to just one way of exploring the area.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Vogtsburg Im Kaiserstuhl, Dittishausen, Au, Löffingen, Munzingen, Bad Krozingen, Horben, Sölden.

Go to the main travel overview: Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald.