Mahlberg: History, Church Art and Panoramic Views

Mahlberg offers several different ways to experience history and landscape: a culturally significant castle, an unusual castle church, a historic well, a Franconian farmstead and a museum devoted to tobacco. Panoramic views add a different dimension. You can plan your trip around what interests you most, whether that is architectural history, collections or views across the surrounding landscape.

Castle Church and Architectural History

Mahlberg Castle is a culturally significant monument. It is privately owned and is not open to visitors at all times. If you are planning a visit, check the visiting arrangements in advance rather than assuming that a tour will be available as a regular part of your itinerary.

Mahlberg Castle Church combines a rare central-plan design with a long building history: its octagonal form dates back to the Middle Ages, while it acquired its Baroque appearance in 1734. Its features include valuable stucco work and eight paintings depicting the life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The medieval design, Baroque decoration and series of paintings are distinct aspects to focus on.

Well and Farmstead

The Radbrunnen is Mahlberg’s oldest public well and is located in the centre of the medieval town. It is thought to date from between 1200 and 1250. Originally, a wheel was used to draw groundwater from the Rhine Plain. The well therefore tells the story not only of an old structure, but also of an earlier method of water supply.

The Radbrunnenhof offers a different perspective on rural architectural history. Its core dates back to the Renaissance; the farmstead was remodelled and gradually expanded between 1783 and 1862. It is one of the last fully preserved Franconian farmsteads in the Ortenau region. The Renaissance core and the changes made over several decades represent two distinct periods that can be distinguished when looking at the farmstead.

Tobacco History at the Museum

The Upper Rhine Tobacco Museum has been operating since 1992 in a former cigar factory in Mahlberg. It displays more than 5,000 tobacco-related exhibits. This extensive collection devoted to a single subject complements the historic buildings: architecture and local history meet an exhibition whose objects all revolve around tobacco. If you plan to visit the museum as a fixed part of your itinerary, check the visiting arrangements in advance.

Panoramic Views and Trip Planning

Mahlberg’s panoramic viewpoint offers sweeping views towards the Black Forest, Kaiserstuhl and Vosges. It provides a scenic contrast to the town’s cultural and historical attractions. While the well, farmstead and castle church focus on individual buildings and their history, the viewpoint takes in several named landscapes.

Deciding what you want to focus on can help you choose where to look for accommodation. Because access to the castle is limited, you should not plan on visiting it as an attraction that is always open.

The Ortenau District as a Wider Setting

The wider travel destination of the Ortenau district encompasses landscapes between the Rhine and the Black Forest. The district’s 23 nature reserves cover a total of around 3,110 hectares and extend from the Rhine Plain to the higher elevations of the Black Forest.

Other attractions in the Ortenau district offer their own highlights. Rulantica offers year-round water fun for the whole family, with numerous indoor and outdoor water attractions; its facilities also include Hyggedal, a relaxation and sauna area. Europa-Park is located in the municipality of Rust. If you are weighing up culture, landscapes and water-based activities as a family, you can consider these as different interests when planning your trip without combining them into a single excursion itinerary.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Seebach, Friesenheim, Schwanau, Neuried, Kippenheim, Ettenheim, Mühlenbach, Appenweier.

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