Discover Hornberg

Hornberg brings together the Hornberger Schießen Trail, Castle Hill and the town museum, offering different reasons to visit. If you are looking for a hotel in Hornberg, these attractions may also influence when you choose to travel: the themed trail links several stops with a climb up to the castle, while the museum and the performance have their own visiting times. You can decide whether you want to focus on a themed walk, architectural history or the summer open-air performance.

The Hornberger Schießen Trail and the view from Castle Hill

The Hornberger Schießen Trail is 2.58 kilometres long and follows 14 stops as a themed route. The circular walk takes about one hour and 45 minutes. The route length, number of stops and approximate duration each provide a different point of reference for planning. The trail climbs up to Hornberg Castle. From Castle Hill, you can see the town, the Black Forest Railway viaduct and the Gutach Valley. The walk therefore combines its theme with a viewpoint that brings the townscape, railway viaduct and valley into view together.

The castle and town museum

Hornberg Castle retains its keep, also known as the residential tower, the powder tower and a small turret. These named architectural features add a distinct focus to a visit to Castle Hill alongside the view. If you are interested in different ways of experiencing culture, the Hornberg Town Museum offers another option: you can explore its various sections on a guided tour or on your own.

The town museum is open year-round on the first Sunday of each month from 2 pm to 5 pm. If you are planning your visit around this time, check locally in advance for any changes. This makes it easier to fit the museum into your travel plans without mistaking its monthly opening hours for daily opening.

The Hornberger Schießen in summer

The Hornberger Schießen is performed every year in July and August by the Hornberg Historical Society at the Hornberg Open-Air Theatre. If you would like to plan your trip around the performance, check the current programme in advance. The time frames differ from those of the town museum: the performance takes place during two summer months, while the museum is open year-round on the first Sunday of each month. This comparison can help you choose when to visit based on the occasion that interests you.

The Ortenau district as a wider regional context

The Ortenau district lies between the Rhine and the Black Forest. The district has 23 nature reserves covering a total area of around 3,110 hectares, stretching from the Rhine Plain to the higher elevations of the Black Forest. The Taubergießen Nature Reserve covers 1,695 hectares and is one of the largest nature reserves in Baden-Württemberg. These figures describe different scales: the total area of protected sites in the Ortenau district and the size of a single nature reserve.

Other regional attractions range from water-based activities to museums and historical walks. Rulantica in Rust offers water-based fun for the whole family all year round, with numerous indoor and outdoor water attractions. The facilities also include Hyggedal, the relaxation and sauna area. Europa-Park is also located in the municipality of Rust. At the MiMa, the focus is on unique minerals from the Black Forest collected by the Association of Friends of Minerals and Mining in Oberwolfach (Verein der Freunde von Mineralien und Bergbau Oberwolfach e. V.).

At the Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum, a walk through the historic farmhouses shows how people in the Black Forest lived and worked up to 600 years ago. The Gengenbach night watchman’s tour also combines several elements: it includes 12 stops and the traditional night watchman’s song. The public tours are free of charge; no booking is required. Check the latest visitor information before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Niederwasser, Schutterwald, Achern, Biberach, Offenburg, Gengenbach, Lautenbach, Ortenberg.

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