Discover Empfingen

Empfingen combines cycling routes with insights into local history, craftsmanship and public art. If you are looking for a hotel in Empfingen, these themes can shape your plans: a bike ride, a museum visit by appointment or a look at the local art each offers a different focus. Depending on whether you prefer to spend time outdoors or explore local history in greater depth, different sides of the town will take centre stage.

Cycling routes with different layouts

A circular route of about 10 kilometres follows field consolidation paths around Empfingen. The Heidelberg–Black Forest–Lake Constance Cycle Route (HSB) comes from Dettensee and runs right through Empfingen towards Mühlheim am Bach. These two routes offer different options: the circular route goes around the town, while the HSB passes through it and continues in the stated direction. The circular route’s length is approximate, so treat it as an estimate when planning.

The “Empfinger Spuren” (Empfingen Traces) discovery trail offers another way to explore the municipality: nine stops present historical and informative content about Empfingen. While the trail covers its topics at a series of stops, the local history museum focuses on the town’s history from 1850 to 1950. The two formats therefore have different thematic focuses.

Local history and craftsmanship

The Empfingen Local History Museum spans five floors and focuses on the town’s history from 1850 to 1950. Visits are possible by appointment. The museum documents in detail the masonry and stonecutting trades, which were linked to many seasonal workers from Empfingen working in Alsace, Baden and Switzerland. In this context, Empfingen earned a widespread reputation as a metropolis of masons and stonecutters. The time period provides a clear framework for the town’s history, while these trades form a specific focus within it.

The Village Blacksmith Museum centres on a single workshop: it preserves in its original condition the fully intact forge of the town’s last farrier and wheelwright. The forge is still put into operation for demonstrations. Visits are possible by appointment, and admission is free. Be sure to arrange your visit in advance. The museums thus differ in focus: the local history museum covers the town’s history and craftsmanship, while the village forge preserves a specific workshop.

Public art

Josef Henger’s art can also be experienced in public spaces in Empfingen. “The Element of Water,” an interpretation of the element of water inspired by Josef Henger, is located on the sunbathing lawn at Tälesee. The work offers an artistic take on a single element, giving it a different emphasis from the historical and craft-related themes of the museums.

More to explore in the wider Freudenstadt destination

In the wider Freudenstadt destination, Alpirsbach offers its own historical highlights. Its monastery, with its imposing abbey church, is one of the few monasteries in southwest Germany to have survived according to the plan of the medieval Hirsau Reform. The permanent exhibition “Monks and Scholars” at the monastery museum displays clothing, letters, drawings, games and vessels from six centuries. The Museum of Local History in Alpirsbach explains the town’s development through selected collector’s items. A traditional guided historical tour of Alpirsbach also visits historic buildings and includes a walk through the spa gardens. In Freudenstadt itself, the market square is Germany’s largest and features 50 fountains and arcades.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Schopfloch, Horb am Neckar, Freudenstadt, Waldachtal, Pfalzgrafenweiler, Seewald, Dornstetten, Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Freudenstadt.