Sasbach: Museums, Market and Wine Country

If you’re planning a trip to Sasbach, you’ll find culture, history, market traditions and hiking all coming together. Sasbach lies directly on the Baden Wine Route and, together with Obersasbach, Sasbachwalden and Lauf, is part of the Sasbachwalden holiday region. Highlights range from the Franco-German Turenne Museum and art in Obersasbach to two named circular trails and seasonal landscapes. When choosing what to focus on during your trip, consider whether you’d like to explore cultural sites, go hiking or visit St. Catherine’s Market.

Museums, architectural history and remembrance

The Turenne Museum in Sasbach is a Franco-German museum and a branch museum of the House of History Baden-Württemberg. The Turenne monument in Sasbach commemorates the French Marshal Turenne and is considered a symbol of today’s Franco-German friendship.

The Kühnerhof, a listed historic site, preserves a sawmill, a grist mill, various farm buildings and the miller’s residence with its parlor and kitchen. The ensemble offers a glimpse into farm life and work over the past 300 years. Guided tours and special events provide insights into life and work in the 19th and 20th centuries. Check in advance for current visiting options.

The Toni Merz Gallery is an art museum in the center of the village of Obersasbach and is dedicated to the work of painter Toni Merz. Merz was born in 1895 in Schönenbach in the Black Forest and died in 1966 in Achern. The monastery of the Franciscan Sisters of Erlenbad in Obersasbach was built between 1924 and 1926. The Erlenbad Monastery Church is now located in Palais Erlenbad, a venue for culture and communication, as well as a place for music and inspiration.

Hiking trails and seasonal scenery

The AugenBlick Obersasbach Loop starts at the town hall or the Obersasbach Tourist Information Office and leads via the Sulzbächel to Erlenbad Monastery. Narrow paths along the Aubächle take you to a viewpoint, where the view stretches across the Rhine Plain to the Vosges. The marked Obersasbach Adventure Circular Trail, by contrast, starts and ends at the church square. The two routes thus differ in that one features named waypoints and a viewpoint, while the other starts and ends in the same place.

The contrast between seasons is especially clear when hiking around Sasbach and Obersasbach: in spring, you can enjoy the cherry blossoms; in autumn, the colorful vineyards and neighboring forests. Plan your trip according to whether you’d rather experience the blossoms or the autumn wine and forest landscape.

Market traditions throughout the year

The Sasbach annual fair has been held for more than 230 years as an expression of gratitude for the previous year’s harvest and in honor of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. She is considered the patron saint of farmers and winegrowers. Each year, 80 to 100 stalls are available for St. Catherine’s Market; the number may vary slightly. The market area covers Kirchplatz, Lindenplatz, Kirchgraben, Großer Winkel, and Bachstraße and Oberdorfstraße as far as the bridge. If St. Catherine’s Market is the reason for your trip, check the date for your chosen year in advance.

The Ortenaukreis as a regional setting

The Ortenaukreis 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. This regional perspective differs from the specific trails and seasonal scenery around Sasbach and Obersasbach, offering a broader context for nature lovers.

Discover more destinations: Rheinau, Bad Peterstal-Griesbach, Oberwolfach, Berghaupten, Zell Am Harmersbach, Gengenbach, Seebach, Lautenbach

For the broader travel overview: Ortenaukreis.