Haslach im Kinzigtal: Half-Timbered Houses, Museums and Nature

Haslach im Kinzigtal invites you to discover Black Forest culture through traditional costumes, art and local history. The traffic-calmed half-timbered old town, museums and nature experiences offer different ways to shape your trip: you can set aside time for exhibitions and history, or head outdoors to explore forest trails and enjoy the views. Specific stops let you combine both.

Half-Timbered Houses, Museums and Remembrance

In the traffic-calmed half-timbered old town, small shops, cafés, bistros and restaurants are part of the scene. The Black Forest Costume Museum displays more than 100 original traditional costumes, along with costume components and objects from rural life. At the Freihof, the Hansjakob Museum presents the life and work of Heinrich Hansjakob, a chronicler of Black Forest life who was born in Haslach. The Freihof also houses permanent art exhibitions devoted to Carl Sandhaas and Otto Laible.

The Path of Remembrance offers a sobering historical perspective. Information panels at six historic sites trace the suffering of forced laborers; the path ends at the central Vulkan Memorial. The Children’s Town Rally offers a different kind of walk: designed for children aged six to eleven, it starts and finishes at the Tourist Information office and passes the monastery church as it winds through the old town. Along the route of around three kilometers, there are 15 questions to answer; walking time is about 45 minutes. Route details may change, so check the current route before setting off.

A Look into the Mine

At the Segen Gottes visitor mine, silver-bearing ore veins, crystal druses, sinter and stalactites can be seen alongside preserved hand-hewn tunnels and historic timber structures. The mine is associated with around 800 years of mining history. Guided visits lead through three underground levels and last about an hour and a half; visitors use hard hats, lamps and protective clothing. Visit duration and operating details may vary seasonally, so check the latest visitor information before planning your visit.

Forest Trails and Views

The Urenkopf Tower stands atop Haslach’s highest hill, at an elevation of 554 meters. Climb 183 steps to enjoy views across the Central Black Forest and beyond. The Bächlewald Forest and Adventure Trail offers a different focus: more than 34 forest information panels and ten activity stations lead past the Willy-Kern-Hütte to Waldsee. Facilities may occasionally be altered or maintained, so check the current status of the stations before your visit.

For longer hikes, Haslach and five neighboring communities offer more than 515 kilometers of trails, marked with the Black Forest trail-marking system. These figures refer to the shared trail network. When choosing individual stages, it is worth checking the current routes and markings, as the network and signage may change. This lets you choose between a viewpoint, a trail with information panels and a larger hiking network, without treating these different options as the same kind of outing.

The Wider Setting: Ortenau District

The broader travel destination of Ortenau District stretches geographically from the Rhine to the Black Forest. The district’s 23 nature reserves cover around 3,110 hectares in total, extending from the Rhine Plain to the higher elevations of the Black Forest. Cultural destinations elsewhere in Ortenau District offer their own highlights, too: at the Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum in Gutach, a tour of historic farmhouses shows how people in the Black Forest lived and worked up to 600 years ago. The Gengenbach Night Watchman’s Tour includes twelve stops and the traditional night watchman’s song. If you plan to visit several places in Ortenau District, choose your accommodation based on the destinations you plan to prioritize.

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