Schallbach: Village History and Places to Visit

Schallbach lies at the entrance to the Kandertal Valley, on the southwestern foothills of the Black Forest and in the wider Basel–Weil–Lörrach area. The village is also part of the tri-national region between Germany, Switzerland and France.

Landscape and Village History

Schallbach lies in the Bamlach-Schallbach loess hill landscape, which is considered well suited to agriculture. The village is regarded as a typical clustered settlement that developed around a farm and a chapel. The term describes a settlement pattern in which buildings are grouped together. Since no industry settled here, the village has largely retained its rural character. Thus, both the landscape’s suitability for agriculture and the village’s development are central to Schallbach.

The place name Schallbach was first mentioned in 1240 in a damaged document in connection with St. Blasien Abbey. The earliest written mention of a chapel in Schallbach dates to 1275. The dates refer to different historical evidence: 1240 to the place name, and 1275 to the chapel. This distinguishes the early record of the name from the written mention of the chapel.

Holzeck Forest Playground

The Holzeck forest playground is located at the edge of the forest. Its play equipment includes a slide, a seesaw, a nest swing and a wooden balance beam. There is also a shelter, picnic tables and a barbecue grill. The facilities combine opportunities for play with places to take a break outdoors.

Groups of more than 25 people must register in advance with the mayor’s office to use the forest playground. Check the current municipal rules before planning a group visit. If you want to use the grill, check the applicable site rules beforehand.

Bus and Kandertal Railway

Bus route 55 runs through Schallbach along the Kandern–Weil am Rhein–Basel corridor. Check the current timetable and the departures relevant to your trip before travelling.

The Kandertal Railway is a heritage railway that runs for 13 kilometres from Haltingen to Kandern through the Kandertal Valley. It is one of the few heritage railways in Germany and the only standard-gauge branch line in Baden-Württemberg operated exclusively as a heritage railway. Check the current operating days before planning your trip.

Culture and Places to Visit

The Schallbach Culture Days took place from 2016 to 2025; future editions may change. If you want to plan a stay around a new edition, check whether it is taking place and when before making plans.

Places to visit in the wider area include Rötteln Castle ruins in Lörrach, Bürgeln Castle in Schliengen and the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein. The selection therefore ranges from castle ruins and a castle to a design museum.

Culture in Lörrach

Lörrach has its own urban cultural context. The Three Countries Museum in Lörrach has a permanent exhibition covering around 1,000 square metres. The Lörrach Sculpture Trail runs through the city and features 23 sculptures, fountains and monuments. Lörrach’s weekly market has been held since 1403. These topics differ from the agriculturally shaped hills and village development of Schallbach, and add the museum, public art and market history to the picture of the region.

Discover more destinations: Grenzach-Wyhlen, Tunau, Bad Bellingen, Kandern, Schliengen, Rheinfelden, Inzlingen, Steinen

Return to the main travel overview: Lörrach.