Discover Rheinau: Fish Pass, Museums and Nature
Accommodation in Rheinau
Rheinau brings together several starting points for planning a trip: the Rheinau-Gambsheim fish pass, local history at the Rheinau Museum, architecture and home living at World of Living, and trails in the Rhine floodplains. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, these different themes can help you sort out your interests.
Fish Pass and Visitor Centre
The Rheinau-Gambsheim fish pass is one of the largest in Europe. An exhibition in the visitor centre covers the construction of the facility, the regulation of the Rhine, the reintroduction of salmon and the fish species found in the Rhine. This brings together a range of topics related to the river and the facility in one exhibition.
The self-guided visit follows a circular route and is designed to take 45 minutes. Visitors can touch and feed the fish. The exhibition is available in French, German and English. As the tour duration and languages are practical details for visitors, it is advisable to check that they are up to date before travelling.
Local History at the Rheinau Museum
The Rheinau Museum is housed in a half-timbered building dating from 1745. Its permanent exhibition is devoted to the history of Rheinau and its districts. The tools and equipment associated with growing and processing hemp and tobacco complement the exhibition, showing a specific aspect of local history.
Ship models offer another theme to explore. The extensive collection spans the beginnings of canal and Rhine shipping through to modern push-tow convoys. The museum thus brings together everyday and economic history alongside the development of shipping. Numerous churches and historic chapels also attract art lovers and complement Rheinau’s cultural offerings.
Architecture, Home Living and Nature at World of Living
World of Living in Rheinau is a building, home-living and experience park that combines architecture, modern living, nature and entertainment. In the “Universe of Time,” the journey depicted takes visitors through 20,000 years of building and living history. The “Hall of Creation” offers materials, designs and home ideas across more than 3,500 square metres of exhibition space.
Erlenpark offers a different focus: it includes a treehouse with views across the grounds, a large adventure playground, an 800-square-metre biotope and a lake. The themes within World of Living differ accordingly: the journey through time focuses on the history of building and living, the Hall of Creation on materials and ideas for the home, and Erlenpark on nature and recreational areas.
Trails and the Regional Setting
Hiking and cycling trails cross Rheinau and lead into the Rhine floodplains. If you would like to include outdoor routes in your plans alongside exhibitions and culture, they offer a focus of their own. The trails mentioned lead into the Rhine floodplains, making them a different starting point for a trip from the exhibitions and collections.
Within the broader destination of Ortenaukreis, the district lies between the Rhine and the Black Forest. Ortenaukreis has 23 nature reserves covering a total area of around 3,110 hectares. They extend from the Rhine plain to the higher elevations of the Black Forest. This wider regional landscape context complements the specific cultural and nature-related themes in Rheinau.
Discover more destinations: Kappel-Grafenhausen, Biberach, Lahr/Schwarzwald, MĂĽhlenbach, Wolfach, Hausach, Renchen, Kehl.
Back to the broader travel overview: Ortenaukreis.
