A village with many half-timbered houses and a river nestled in a hilly, green landscape.

Vacation in the Black Forest5 Highlights in the Kinzigtal Valley

4.1.2024by Hirsch & Greif

BW Story - Hirsch & GreifDiscovering the Home of the Black Forest Raftsmen

Old half-timbered towns that are steeped in history, traditional crafts, and lush green countryside. There is lots to see in the Kinzigtal Valley in the Black Forest.

Here are five highlights in and around the Kinzigtal Valley.

#1 Kinzigtal Cycle PathBiking through the Black Forest

With impressive castles, pretty half-timbered towns and traditionally crafted rafts, the 90-kilometre Kinzigtal Cycle Trail is a fascinating ride through nature, culture and history. Your trusty companion throughout the tour is the Kinzig River, which has its source near Lossburg and joins the Rhine near Kehl. The cycle trail starts in Freudenstadt and passes through pretty little villages like Alpirsbach, Schiltach and Gengenbach. There are plenty of highlights along the way, including the Zauberland Adventure Park in Lossburg; the historic half-timbered town of Haslach, which was founded in the 11th century and was the administrative centre for the local silver mines for a long time; and the impressive Ortenberg Castle, built by the Zähringers in the 12th century at the entrance to the Kinzigtal Valley.

More about the Kinzigtal cycle path

Signpost on a bridge indicating the direction and distance of the surrounding paths.

Kinzigtal rafting trail between Schiltach and Wolfach

The 90-kilometre Kinzigtal Cycle Path offers an exciting ride through nature, culture and history.

#2 A Stroll through HistoryVogtsbauernhof Black Forest Open-Air Museum

The farm gardens are a blaze of yellow, white, and purple, little bunnies snuffle around in the shade of the tall trees and there is a wonderful smell of fresh bread: the Vogtsbauernhof Black Forest Open-Air Museum is a museum for all the senses, showing how people used to live and work in the Black Forest. The first building at the open-air museum was the Vogtsbauernhof farmhouse, built in 1612. Over time, gardens and stables have been added to the 17‑acre site, with farmhouses, workshops and rooms set up in the styles of different regions of the Black Forest using the ‘translocation’ method. New buildings are still being added today, the Ortenauhaus Farmhouse was only added to the Black Forest Open Air Museum in 2023. The estate is 250 years old and was originally situated in Durbach in the Ortenau Region. The open-air museum is open annually from the end of March to the beginning of November.

Plan your visit

Traditional farm building from the Black Forest with farm garden in front.

Black Forest Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof

The Open-Air Museum shows how people lived and worked in the Black Forest.

#3 One of the Highest Mills in the Black ForestMooswald Mill in Lauterbach

The Mooswald Mill (Mooswaldmühle) in Lauterbach is not only a historic landmark, but also a lovely place steeped in history and charm. The nearly 400-year-old mill sits high up amid the pretty hills and forests of the Sulzbachtal Valley. With its huge mill wheel and pretty thatched roof, the Mooswaldmühle is a living testimony to the tradition of milling. The mill is open to visitors whenever the miller, Mr. Fischer, opens the low wooden doors of the building. He will tell you all about the mill, and you can even mill grain into flour. The mill grounds are open all year round.

More Information

An old wooden mill on the edge of a forest.

Mooswald Mill (Mooswaldmühle) in Lauterbach

The mill ist almost 400-year-old and is idyllically situated between the forest and hills in the Sulzbachtal Valley.

#4 Experience TraditionRaft Festival in Schiltach

All the clattering, hammering, and splashing means it is raft festival time again in Schiltach. The summer festival, held every five years in the little town by the Kinzig River, is a chance for the members of the raft club to showcase their skills. They make tools, turn branches into ropes, and make improvements to the long raft that calmly floats along the Kinzig River during the festival weekend. It is organised by the raft clubs of Schiltach and Wolfach who work together to explore the traditions and keep them alive. The atmosphere at the festival is lively, with people eating, drinking, and dancing to the sounds of the band. The big highlight of the festival is the launch of the big raft, an opportunity for the rafters to demonstrate their fearlessness and their skills.

Find out more

Some people stand on a traditional wooden raft and are transported across the river.

Living rafting tradition in the Black Forest

The members of the rafting association show off their skills at the summer festival held every five years in Schiltach on the Kinzig.

#5 Following the RaftersFloeßerpfad Trail

For a long time, the Kinzig River was the lifeblood of the Kinzigtal Valley. It was used to transport the important cargo of timber from the Black Forest to the Rhine Valley. But how did it work? And who was brave enough to take on the task? You can find out on the 32-kilometre Floesserpfad Trail (Rafters Trail) from Lossburg to Wolfach. The path leads through forests dappled in sunlight and wide valleys, following the Kinzig River all the way. Information boards, an audio guide, and various interactive stations along the way tell you all about the life and work of the rafters. And if you fancy delving particularly deep into the history of rafting, you can visit one of the rafting museums in Schiltach, Wolfach or Gengenbach.

Find out more about the trail