Discover Lembach: History, Tufa and Panoramic Views

Two small tufa quarries lie in the narrow Rohrbach Valley; the Bildhaus on the hill between Lembach and Ewattingen offers panoramic views as far as the Swiss Alps and across the Baar region. The area also has archaeological traces and a parish church with several building phases. Lembach brings together geological, historical and landscape themes that can shape a stay in different ways.

Archaeological and Ecclesiastical Layers of Time

A burial ground from the Hallstatt period in Lembach dates to between 700 and 400 BC. Merovingian-period graves place Lembach within the earliest settlement layer; a prehistoric hillfort also forms part of the archaeological picture of the village. These remains open up several historical layers. The Hallstatt period, Merovingian graves and hillfort offer different starting points if you would like to explore Lembach’s early history. These traces of the past reach far back beyond the building phases of the parish church.

A church in Lembach is documented for the years 1360/70. The parish church of St Peter and Paul was built in 1830 and extended in 1898. This places the early history of the church in the village alongside the later building phases of the parish church. Comparing the dates shows that Lembach’s church history cannot be reduced to a single year of construction. There were 68 years between the building and the extension.

Tufa and Geological Formations

Two small tufa quarries are located in the narrow Rohrbach Valley, within the municipality of Wutach in the village of Lembach. As of 2021, a tufa deposit up to ten metres thick was being quarried at the Wutach-Lembach quarry (RG 8216-1). The thickness indicates the depth of the deposit and gives an idea of its scale. In the Wutach–Lembach area, karst water formed sinter terraces during the Holocene; the geological context also includes the Rohrbach Valley. The quarries and sinter terraces draw attention to different aspects of the landscape: the use of the rock and the formation of geological features.

The Bildhaus and the Expansive View

The Bildhaus lies near Lembach, on the hill between Lembach and Ewattingen. The building, situated on an old pilgrimage route, once served as a shelter or prayer room. Today it is a popular viewpoint; the panoramic view reaches as far as the Swiss Alps and across the Baar region. Its former function and today’s view give the Bildhaus two distinct points of interest: it represents both a historical use and a striking landscape panorama. This makes it a different focal point from the archaeological traces and the village’s building history.

Find Accommodation to Suit Your Travel Style

If you are travelling with several generations or people with different interests, decide together whether early history, geology or the views should be the main focus. This will help you make a choice that suits your own travel style.

For the broader travel overview: Wutach.