Emmendingen Between Museums and Circular Routes
Accommodation in Emmendingen
Emmendingen combines urban history with museums, signposted circular hiking trails and a longer route that can be completed in stages. The Markgrafenschloss houses the town museum and the HirsmĂĽller Photography Museum; opposite, you can visit the Jewish Museum and its historic mikveh. Outdoors, experiences range from the town gardens and hiking trails to the MĂĽhlbach circular route for cyclists. You can shape your stay around culture, exercise or a mix of both, depending on your interests.
Urban History and Special Collections
The permanent exhibition at the Emmendingen Town Museum traces the town’s history from its first documentary mention in 1094 to the modern era. Its topics include crafts, guilds, industrialisation and the 18th century. If you do not want to focus on a single event in the town’s history, you can explore different periods and aspects of urban life here.
In the same palace, the Hirsmüller Photography Museum explores the history of Emmendingen’s photography shop and the Hirsmüller family. The collection includes around 100,000 photographs, studio and laboratory equipment, and cameras. The images and tools bring the subject to life in different ways, complementing the Town Museum’s broader perspective with the history of photography. The Museum in the German Diary Archive presents a selection from its diary collection. Opposite the Markgrafenschloss, you can visit the Jewish Museum; the historic mikveh, a ritual bath, is in the basement.
On Foot, by Bike and Around Town
Five circular hiking trails around Emmendingen have been signposted in collaboration with the Emmendingen local group of the Black Forest Association. A longer option in the surrounding area is the approximately 30-kilometre Four Castles Trail, which connects Kastelburg, Hochburg near Emmendingen-Windenreute, Landeck Castle and Lichteneck Castle. The route can be completed in stages—an option if you do not want to plan to cover the entire trail in one go.
There is also a specific route for a cycling trip: the signposted MĂĽhlbach circular route is about 30 kilometres long and passes 20 information panels about mills, power stations and local attractions. An exploration of the Emmendingen municipal forest with a forester covers wildlife, hunting, and the characteristics of trees and leaves. Check availability and booking conditions for this activity in advance.
Regular public guided tours take visitors through the Margravial town and last 90 minutes. This gives you a set time frame to factor into your day’s plans; check dates and prices in advance. For a different kind of stay, the town gardens offer seating by the duck pond as well as public play and sports equipment. You can choose between discovering the town’s history, getting active or spending time in green surroundings.
Wine Tasting and Getting There
The Emmendingen Tourist Information Office offers the Breisgau Explorer Wine Tasting. It includes five tasting cards for 0.1-litre glasses, redeemable at participating wineries. As details of the offer may change, check current availability in advance.
Emmendingen is on the Baden Main Line between Mannheim and Basel. In addition to the centrally located station, there are further stops in Kollmarsreute and (Teningen-) Mundingen. A regional train from Freiburg Central Station reaches Emmendingen in less than 15 minutes; journey times depend on the service, so it is worth checking the current timetable. By car, Emmendingen is close to the A5 via the Teningen exit, about five kilometres from the town centre; the B3 runs through the town.
If you are planning a wine tasting, check its availability; if travelling by train, use the current timetables to plan your day.
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