Discover Ringsheim: Trails, Mining and Baroque Heritage

Ringsheim offers several ways to explore local history and nature: a listed late-Baroque church stands alongside themed trail ideas focusing on winegrowing or mining history. There are also places to visit in the wider Ortenau district. This means you can choose between discovering the town, enjoying walks on circular trails and experiencing the region during your trip.

Churches and history in Ringsheim

The listed Church of St. John the Baptist stands in the town centre. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1784/1785. Another historic site is the St. John's Chapel, east of the Old Federal Highway near the Ochsenbrunnen. It dates back to the 17th century. The two buildings therefore represent different periods in the town's history: the late-Baroque church and the 17th-century chapel. If you are interested in historic architecture, Ringsheim offers more than just one place to visit.

Circular trails with different themes

The Ringsheim Genussrunde is a 4.9-kilometre circular trail. It starts at the Bürgerhaus at Denkmalstraße 16. The Ringsheim Glückauf-Schleife is almost the same length at 5.0 kilometres, but starts at the “Im Berg” playground on Erzstraße. It loops around the former “Grube Kahlenberg” mine and focuses on local history: nine information boards explain, in particular, the development of mining in Ringsheim. The main differences between the two circular trails are their starting points and themes.

The Ringsheim Wein-Kunst-Weg also starts at the “Im Berg” playground. Its focus is on ecology and species conservation in connection with winegrowing. The trail complements the historical themes with a look at nature and agriculture. Another option for hiking is the network of trails on the Kaiserberg. It connects Ettenheim, Ringsheim and Herbolzheim around the Kaiserberg, so the entire network is not located solely in Ringsheim.

The “Im Berg” playground is on Erzstraße and offers views over Ringsheim. It is also the starting point for the Glückauf-Schleife and the Wein-Kunst-Weg. The Genussrunde, by contrast, starts at the Bürgerhaus. These different starting points can help you decide which circular trail to choose based on its theme or starting location.

Getting here and choosing a location

Ringsheim has a railway station on the Karlsruhe–Basel Rhine Valley Railway. For road travel, the Rust exit (57b) on the A5 is in Ringsheim. Bus route 7231 connects Ringsheim with Europa-Park. As bus services can change, check the current timetable for your journey. These transport links are useful landmarks when considering Ringsheim as a base for your trip.

Ringsheim is a starting point for excursions in and around the Black Forest, as well as to Europa-Park and the Rulantica water world. Which accommodation area best suits your plans also depends on whether you mainly want to explore local trails and attractions or include other destinations in the Ortenau district. The trails described here offer different themes, so when choosing accommodation you could start by considering which experiences you want to focus on during your trip.

The Ortenau district as a wider area to explore

In the wider Ortenau district, the Rhine and the Black Forest lie on opposite sides of the landscape: the district stretches between them. Its natural assets include 23 nature reserves covering a total of around 3,110 hectares, extending from the Rhine Plain to the higher elevations of the Black Forest. The Taubergießen nature reserve covers 1,695 hectares and is one of the largest nature reserves in Baden-Württemberg. The Ortenau district provides the wider landscape setting, while the Ringsheim trails offer their own local focus on winegrowing and mining.

For a day out focused on water, Rulantica offers year-round aquatic fun for the whole family. The water world in Rust features indoor and outdoor attractions as well as the Hyggedal relaxation and sauna area. Europa-Park is also in Rust. For other interests, the Ortenau district offers cultural attractions: MiMa showcases remarkable minerals from the Black Forest, collected by the Friends of Minerals and Mining in Oberwolfach association (Verein der Freunde von Mineralien und Bergbau Oberwolfach e. V.). A tour of the historic farmhouses at the Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum shows how people in the Black Forest lived and worked up to 600 years ago. Depending on your interests, you can round out your stay with water-based activities, nature or culture.

Discover more destinations: Haslach im Kinzigtal, Oberharmersbach, Renchen, Gutach, Ettenheim, Hohberg, Offenburg, Ortenberg.

Back to the main travel overview: Ortenau district.