Raich: Hiking, Crafts and Traditions

Raich combines specific hiking options with a history of craftsmanship and local traditions. The Nonnenmattweiher can be reached on foot from here; the Rieder Bächle circular trail and the Hörnle circular trail also pass through Raich. This gives you a choice of hikes of different lengths and cultural themes to help plan your trip.

Hiking and routes in Raich

Depending on your starting point, the hike to the Nonnenmattweiher can be short or take a full day. The Rieder Bächle circular trail between Raich and Ried, by contrast, has set route details: it is 4.5 kilometres long, has an elevation gain of 200 metres and an average gradient of 9 percent, and is considered moderately difficult. The distance, elevation gain and difficulty rating give you different points of reference for planning your hike.

The Hörnle circular trail in Raich is 11.6 kilometres long and has an elevation gain of 560 metres. It starts at the car park by the Lindenhalle. In clear weather, the view stretches across the valley and the Jura mountains to the Alps. The route therefore combines a clearly named starting point with a view that depends on visibility. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

History, crafts and traditions

A historic file-making workshop is located by the Lindenhalle in Raich. Its machines show how files were still made individually 50 years ago. The workshop was previously operated in Wieslet; in 2015/16, the machines found a new home in a building erected in Raich. Both the earlier work in Wieslet and the machines' later relocation to Raich are therefore part of its history.

Another historical point of interest is the former Altwaldeck Castle. It stood within the Raich municipal area and had probably fallen into ruin at an early date. The major traditional festival in Raich takes place every two years on the Hörnle. It shows how people used to work and celebrate at home, in the farmyard and in the fields. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the event dates in advance.

In the wider destination of Kleines Wiesental

The Nonnenmattweiher lies in the wider destination of Kleines Wiesental at an altitude of 913 metres and is one of the highest-standing bodies of still water in the Black Forest. It was artificially dammed in the early 18th century. Part of the peat-covered lakebed then broke free, forming a floating peat island. Several species of peat moss grow on the island, as well as hare's-tail cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum), cranberry (Vacinium oxycoccos) and round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia). The presence of these plants may vary with the seasons.

Other places in the wider destination of Kleines Wiesental also have historical and natural features. In 1935, the church in Tegernau was described as a small “Wälder church” with a little bell tower. The pollarded beech in Neuenweg is very old and has grown very wide. These themes add to the picture of the region, but are not features of Raich itself.

The Museumswirtschaft Zur Krone in Tegernau includes a historic dining room with a side room, an old “Chuchi” with a vaulted cellar in the hillside, a historic ballroom, sleeping quarters in the attic and a “Schisshüsli” dating from 1901. Along with the church and the pollarded beech, these examples show how varied the historical and natural themes are across the wider destination of Kleines Wiesental.

Discover more destinations: Wies, Sallneck, Bürchau, Wieslet, Neuenweg, Elbenschwand.

Back to the destination overview: Kleines Wiesental.