Simonswald: Mills, Museum and Hiking Trails

Simonswald can be explored for trip planning through a range of themes: milling history, hiking, a village museum and other local attractions. If you’re looking for a hotel in Simonswald, you can first consider which of these themes you’d like to shape your stay. The places and suggestions below provide some specific ideas.

Mills and Hiking Trails

The Kronen Mill was built around 1800, restored and rebuilt at Sägplatz in Simonswald. It previously belonged to the Adamhof near St. Märgen and remained in operation until the 1950s. The mill hiking trail starts at Sägplatz, by the Kronen Mill. This means that the named starting point for a hike and the history of the mill come together in one place.

The oil mill and wine press in Simonswald are a cultural monument dating from the early 18th century. Its oak press beam is 10 metres long and bears the carved year 1712. Guided tours are offered at the grain and oil mill. Check the current tour arrangements before your visit.

Two hiking suggestions follow different routes. One leads from the centre of Simonswald across the Wilde Gutach and through the Ettersbach Valley to the Hofkapelle chapel. The other runs from the town centre along Kirchstraße into the Haslach Valley and via the Paradiesweg to the Ratsstüble inn. The named places along the way and destinations can help you choose between the suggestions based on your preferred route. Check local trail conditions before setting out.

Nature, Museum and Outdoor Pool

The Zweribach Waterfall lies within a nature reserve and protected forest. The Jockenhof Village Museum is housed in an old farm in the centre of Obersimonswald. The farm setting and the mills offer different points of interest: here, it’s a farm; there, the focus is on milling history and the cultural monument. Check the current opening arrangements before visiting the museum.

The Simonswald outdoor pool is another point to consider when planning your trip: it lies at the foot of Schloßberg and underwent extensive modernisation for the 2015 season. The hiking suggestions, museum, mills and outdoor pool represent different themes that you can weigh up when choosing where to stay in Simonswald.

Emmendingen as a Broader Travel Destination

The broader travel destination of Emmendingen offers further regional information. Emmendingen District has 800 kilometres of hiking trails and hiking routes, as well as 900 kilometres of cycling routes, including 250 kilometres of signposted routes. These figures describe the district’s trail network and complement the specific hiking suggestions in Simonswald with a regional overview.

The Hochburg is also a historic landmark within the broader travel destination of Emmendingen. It is one of Baden’s largest castle complexes; it was first mentioned in writing in 1161. An association runs a museum there and offers guided tours. Check current tour dates before making plans.

Winegrowing in Emmendingen District is part of the Kaiserstuhl and Breisgau wine-growing areas and covers around 2,300 hectares. The Breisgauer Wine Festival in Emmendingen’s old town is a regional event: it takes place every year on the third weekend in August. More than 15 Breisgau winegrowers’ cooperatives and wineries present local wines, sparkling wines and new creations there. Dates and participants may change; check the details before making plans.

For a hiking-focused trip, the two Simonswald suggestions differ in their places along the way and destinations; those interested in culture will find specific historical points of interest in the mills and the Jockenhof.

Discover more destinations: Wyhl am Kaiserstuhl, Bahlingen, Waldkirch, Forchheim, Teningen, Endingen am Kaiserstuhl, Kenzingen, Gutach im Breisgau

Back to the broader travel overview: Emmendingen.