Discover Emmingen: Village History and Witthoh

Emmingen combines a vivid village history with distinctive buildings and art; at Witthoh, you’ll also find winter sports, a cycling meet-up and expansive views across the landscape. You can explore rural life and local customs, take a closer look at architectural and art history, or plan your stay around outdoor activities. Which of these aspects you want to shape your stay is also a useful starting point when looking for accommodation in Emmingen.

Village History and Local Customs

The local history museum is on Hauptstraße, housed in a beautifully restored half-timbered building. Exhibits include a fully furnished home, equipment used for agricultural work in the fields and forests, and tools belonging to village craftspeople of earlier times. The museum also presents rural customs and local history. The collection thus brings together insights into domestic and working life with the history of the village—a tangible way to get to know Emmingen’s past beyond its buildings.

The Emmingen carnival is part of local tradition. The Buchenberger Zunft Emmingen ab Egg e. V. was founded in 1973 and keeps carnival alive as a local custom. The museum and the guild showcase two different sides of the village’s history: the museum focuses on home, work and heritage, while the guild carries carnival forward as a living tradition.

Church, Architectural History and Art

The Catholic parish church of St. Sylvester is Neo-Romanesque and was built in 1842 to plans by building inspector Martin. The church also features a tower dating from 1584 and a Baroque high altar by Johann Pölandt of Schongau, created in 1688. St. Sylvester also houses a Baroque Calvary group featuring Mary and John the Baptist, dating from 1738. The different dates make the building and its furnishings particularly interesting to explore: here, a Neo-Romanesque church stands alongside artworks from both earlier and later periods.

Peter Lenk’s Schelmenbaum offers a different perspective. The twelve-metre-high sculpture was created in 2012 at the corner of Engener Straße and Egertenstraße. Its nine figures refer in part to the history of the municipality and in part to high-level politics. In this way, the work brings together two scales in a single motif: local references and major political themes.

Chapels and Hiking Trail

The Emmingen hiking trail includes the Zeilen Chapel and Schenkenberg Chapel. The Zeilen Chapel features murals, some of which date from the 15th and 16th centuries. The pilgrimage church of Maria Opferung zu Schenkenberg is also located near Emmingen. It stands on a former castle hill near the road to the Wasserburgertal valley.

Views and Activities at Witthoh

Witthoh offers expansive views of Lake Überlingen, Lake Radolfzell, the Hegau region and the Black Forest. For winter sports, the cross-country trail on Witthoh is groomed for both classic cross-country skiing and skating. Near the Berggasthaus Witthoh, it connects to the Hattingen trail. Classic technique and skating are the two options mentioned for the trail; its connection to the Hattingen trail is another useful point to bear in mind when planning your visit.

The Skiclub Emmingen cycling meet-up is another seasonal activity: it takes place every Wednesday from April through the end of September. Participants ride mountain bikes, road bikes and touring bikes. The cycling meet-up and the cross-country trail differ mainly in activity and season, so you can plan your trip around whether you’d prefer to focus on the cycling meet-up or cross-country skiing.

The Witthoh ski lodge serves coffee specialties, a selection of cakes and hearty fare. So, in addition to the views and outdoor activities, you can also enjoy coffee, cake or a savory bite at Witthoh.

Choose Accommodation to Suit Your Plans

When looking for accommodation in Emmingen, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on: would you rather explore village history, carnival and religious architecture, or are Witthoh, the cross-country trail and the cycling meet-up your priority? This helps you tailor your search to the kind of trip you have in mind, without needing to fit every interest into one stay. Then compare specific options based on location and the amenities that matter for your plans.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Hausen, Gosheim, Bärenthal, Reichenbach Am Heuberg, Kolbingen, Buchheim, Trossingen, Wehingen.

To the main travel guide: Tuttlingen.