Discover Bräunlingen: themed trails, town history and carnival

Bräunlingen combines nature-themed trails and cycling with reminders of the town’s history and a local carnival tradition. If you’re looking for accommodation, you can tailor your stay to different interests: outdoor activities, culture or local customs. Trails, collections and the historic town gate offer specific starting points for your plans.

Themed trails to suit your interests

The 4.9-kilometer Hedge Experience Trail uses 25 informative signs to explain the distinctive features of hedgerow habitats. It includes 25 stations, with interactive features such as ground-level viewing windows and search activities. The 6.5-kilometer Bräunlingen Beer Trail has a different focus: its seven stations offer interesting facts about beer. The two trails therefore differ both in subject and length: 4.9 kilometers for the Hedge Experience Trail and 6.5 kilometers for the Beer Trail.

Cycling and mountain biking

The Breg and Brigach floodplain cycle path is part of the Danube Source region’s cycle route network, runs through Bräunlingen and is 18.1 kilometers long. For mountain bikers, Bräunlingen offers the 3.9-kilometer Schellenberg Trail, a singletrack. The Heidenloch Bike Park features a trail park for technically minded mountain bikers. Alongside a cycling route, there are therefore two differently described mountain biking options: a singletrack with a stated length and a trail park.

Town history, art and carnival

The Kelnhof Museum’s collection, which is more than 100 years old, includes archaeological, historical, ethnographic and artistic objects. The art collection includes limewood sculptures of Mary and John dating from around 1225. The sculptures provide a specific historical reference point within the wide-ranging collection.

The Mühlentor, formerly known as the Niedertor, is the last surviving of Bräunlingen’s original four town gates and is now considered a picturesque landmark of the town. According to a municipal announcement from 2025, independent visits to the historic gate were possible from August 1, 2025. The same announcement stated that the key was available for a deposit during the Tourist Information Office’s opening hours; check with the office before your visit to confirm that the key is available.

Bräunlingen’s carnival celebrations begin before Shrove Thursday: on Candlemas, the Urhexe (original witch) leaps out of the Druidenstein; the Hexenlaufen (witches’ parade) then continues until Ash Wednesday. In 1985, the town’s former electricity works was converted into the guild house by the carnival guild and has been its home ever since. The exhibition on local Fasnet and the guild room also opened in 1985. In December 2014, Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet in the Schwarzwald-Baar district was included in Germany’s nationwide UNESCO intangible cultural heritage register.

Water and trails in the wider area

Kirnbergsee offers swimming and water sports. It has sunny beaches, gently sloping shores and large sunbathing lawns. For a change of pace, you can try stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and kitesurfing. Swimming outside lifeguard-supervised hours is at your own risk.

In the wider destination of Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis, the 109-kilometer WasserWeltenSteig premium hiking trail offers a longer regional route. On the German side, it runs entirely through the region, from Germany’s highest waterfalls in Triberg to the Rhine Falls near Neuhausen. This is considerably longer than Bräunlingen’s themed trails of 4.9 and 6.5 kilometers.

Discover more destinations: Villingen-Schwenningen, Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald, Triberg im Schwarzwald, Donaueschingen, Neukirch, Brigachtal, Nußbach, Unterkirnach.

View the wider travel guide: Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis.