Sulzburg: St. Cyriak, town history and wine hikes

St. Cyriak, the Niedere Tor and tours through the vineyards and along the Black Forest slopes give Sulzburg a varied character. Here, you can explore church and town history as well as choose from different kinds of outdoor activities.

Church history at St. Cyriak

St. Cyriak was first mentioned in a document in 993 and is considered one of Germany’s oldest churches. Its tower was built at the beginning of the 11th century and is the oldest surviving tower in southwestern Germany. Since 2019, St. Cyriak has also been an official pilgrim church. The dates tell a story of a long building and church history spanning many centuries.

Among its distinctive features is a wooden ceiling dated 1510 with an artist’s inscription. It adds another specific date to the church’s early mention and medieval tower. Several historical periods are thus represented at St. Cyriak, and its history cannot be reduced to a single construction date.

Town gate, mining history and walking tour

Of Sulzburg’s original three town gates, the Niedere Tor is the one that remains. It marks the western end of the town centre. The structure dates from the 13th century and has a round-arched passageway and a mansard roof. Its location and design offer a tangible point of reference for understanding the former fortifications in the townscape.

A much earlier period is reflected in the town’s mining history: evidence of hematite mining in the Sulzbach Valley around 5500 BC is cited as the basis for describing Sulzburg as Germany’s oldest mining town. For a town visit, there is also a historic walking tour with a total of ten information boards at historic buildings in Sulzburg and Laufen. You can visit the buildings on a walk around town; the boards add information about local history.

Wine hikes, climbs and weekly market

Local tours include wine hikes through the vineyards and steep climbs along the Black Forest slopes. This gives you a choice of different activity levels: you can focus on the wine-growing landscape or plan routes with more demanding climbs. This distinction can help you plan your days around the scenery you want to see and the level of physical activity you prefer.

Another regular meeting place is the market square, where a weekly market featuring a variety of regional products has been held every Friday for more than 15 years. If you would like to include the market in your plans, check the latest market information before your visit, as dates and offerings may change.

Climatic health resort with measurements taken at a specific time

Sulzburg has held the designation of climatic health resort since 1971, and this is verified through regular measurements. A one-year measurement conducted in 2018/19 found that Sulzburg continued to meet the air-hygiene and bioclimatic requirements for a climatic health resort without restrictions. The measurement adds a specific, time-defined assessment to the town’s long-standing designation.

More options across the wider destination

Many places in the wider Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald destination can be reached by train. The free KONUS Guest Card allows you to use local trains and buses throughout the Black Forest at no charge.

The wider Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald destination also offers other kinds of leisure activities. At Badeparadies Schwarzwald in Titisee, summer temperatures prevail 365 days a year, and you’ll find real palm trees and turquoise-blue water. The Galaxy waterslide universe features more than 25 attractions and offers water fun for all ages. In Feldberg, the Fundorena includes a three-level trampoline park, while its X Mind Arena has six stations. These examples broaden the range of possible interests to include water-based and indoor activities, while St. Cyriak, the town walking tour and Sulzburg’s local routes remain the town’s distinctive highlights.

Discover more destinations

Löffingen, Hartheim Am Rhein, Gundelfingen, Glottertal, Au, Ihringen Am Kaiserstuhl, Sölden, Badenweiler

To the wider travel overview: Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald.