Malterdingen: Historic Townscape and Viticulture

Malterdingen combines a historic townscape that feels almost urban with viticulture and trails through the countryside. Between the Protestant parish church, Renaissance town houses and half-timbered gatehouse, cultural history takes different forms; the “Augenweide” panoramic trails add their own distinctive touches. For planning your trip, this means you can get to know the town through its architecture and local history, or explore Malterdingen as a starting point for walks through the vineyards. The right accommodation therefore depends mainly on whether you want to focus on the town’s character, tours or a broader exploration of the region.

Historic architecture in the townscape

The historic layout and architectural style give Malterdingen a townscape that feels almost urban. The Renaissance town houses stand out for their oriel windows, medieval vaulted cellars and a stair tower. These features give exploring the town an architectural theme that can be traced from the overall impression down to individual building details. The half-timbered gatehouse is a landmark associated with the former town fortifications.

The Protestant parish church adds another perspective on the town’s architectural history, with uncovered frescoes and a Baroque organ. The houses, gatehouse and church offer different ways to explore local history: from the distinctive townscape and former fortifications to the furnishings of a place of worship. If you are travelling with children, you can discover these differences together by looking at the buildings and their details.

Augenweide: panoramic information boards and local history

The “Augenweide” panoramic trail was created in 2016 to mark the village’s 1,000th anniversary. Along the panoramic routes, five information boards identify mountain peaks; around eleven more thematic boards focus on local history. Two perspectives thus come together: the mountains as a landscape theme and Malterdingen’s past as a local focus. The trail network also includes the Baden dialect quiz “Weisch Bscheid?”, which is featured in the southern section too. Peak names, historical topics and dialect offer different conversation starters to explore together along the way. If you are planning a particular route, check the latest trail details before your visit.

Viticulture and regional tours

Malterdingen is a starting point for walks and hikes through its vineyards. Red wine production here was first documented in 1285, and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) is grown on 55 percent of Malterdingen’s vineyard area. The vineyards thus bring together a historical connection and a specific feature of local viticulture.

The municipality provides an overview of wineries in Malterdingen and the surrounding area; the businesses listed may change. If you want to include a particular winery in your plans, check the overview before your trip. Cycling can also be part of your plans: signposted cycle routes run through Breisgau and Kaiserstuhl.

Malterdingen is located in the Southern Black Forest Nature Park. The broader Emmendingen destination offers more to explore: the district has 900 kilometres of cycling routes, including 250 kilometres of signposted routes. Viticulture in the district is part of the Kaiserstuhl and Breisgau wine-growing areas and covers around 2,300 hectares. The region’s cultural history also includes Hochburg. It was first mentioned in writing in 1161 and is one of the largest castle complexes in Baden.

When looking for accommodation, you can distinguish between these different focuses: Malterdingen offers themes for days spent exploring local history, vineyards and panoramic trails; a broader travel plan can also include the cycling and cultural highlights of Emmendingen district. Consider whether your stay will focus mainly on walks, bike tours or historical discoveries, and tailor your search accordingly.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Vörstetten, Elzach, Simonswald, Denzlingen, Winden Im Elztal, Kenzingen, Weisweil, Freiamt.

For the broader travel overview: Emmendingen.