Aichhalden: Local History and Hiking

Aichhalden offers specific starting points for a trip combining hiking and local history. The Lourdes Grotto in Aichhalder Loch, the Paradise Tour Aichhalden Border Tour, and the finds at Brandsteig each offer a different focus. If you are looking for a hotel, you can plan your stay around whichever of these themes is most important to your trip.

Religious Local History

The Lourdes Grotto in Aichhalder Loch is part of the local history of religious culture. It was built in 1897 by the “Sacred Heart Brotherhood” of the time. The date and the name of its builder give the grotto a specific historical connection to Aichhalden.

Hiking the Paradise Tour

The Paradise Tour Aichhalden Border Tour is a moderately difficult circular route covering 12.9 kilometers and taking 4 hours and 4 minutes. The tour description starts at the town hall in Aichhalden. The difficulty level, distance, and duration help you fit this day of hiking into your travel plans; check current trail conditions locally.

Along the way, the tour passes the Mariengrotte. It is recommended as a worthwhile stop to pause and catch your breath. The Mariengrotte is a stop along the described tour; the Lourdes Grotto in Aichhalder Loch is a separate point of reference in the local history of religious culture.

Finds at Brandsteig

Two columns found at Brandsteig have been put on display there. Also on display are a cast of a votive stone dedicated to the Black Forest goddess Abnoba by Quintus Antonius Silo between 89 and 96 AD, and a free-standing reproduction of the votive relief depicting Mercury, found in 1983. The cast of the votive stone and the reproduction of the votive relief are two different forms of representation; the Mercury motif belongs to the votive relief.

Brandsteig is signposted from Rötenberg via Brandsteigstraße. Follow the local signposts to find your way.

In the wider destination of Rottweil

In the wider destination of Rottweil, the Unteres Bohrhaus Saltworks Museum is dedicated to the production of evaporated salt. It presents the process in original buildings with original equipment, a water wheel, and two brine pumps. The museum also explains the history and significance of the former Royal Saltworks of Wilhelmshall, described as Rottweil’s oldest industrial enterprise. Salt production and the history of this former enterprise are thus at the heart of the museum’s content.

At the Dominikanermuseum, the “Roman Rottweil – Arae Flaviae” section takes visitors through a day in Roman Rottweil on August 4, 186 AD: from the forum in the morning through various public and private engagements to a feast in the evening. Reconstructions and interactive areas complement the exhibition. The sequence of events throughout the day provides the section’s central thread.

Visitors of all ages can try on a Roman wool tunic, a chain mail shirt, a Roman soldier’s helmet or shield, and the saddle of a Roman rider. If this hands-on activity is important to your plans, check its current availability before your visit. The Roman Path in Rottweil’s old town offers another perspective on the former Rottweil: steles there provide information about important sites in the former Roman city.

The Rottweil Narrensprung can also be relevant to your travel plans. It begins on Shrove Monday at 8 a.m., when the bells ring, behind the Black Gate. Since the exact dates of Fasnet vary, check the event dates before traveling.

Technology and Getting to Rottweil

The Test Tower offers an insight into technology: modern elevators are tested and certified in twelve shafts, at speeds of up to 18 meters per second. To get to the Test Tower by public transport from Rottweil station, the route runs via bus 5011 on weekdays and via an on-call bus on Saturdays and Sundays. Transport details may change; check the connection before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Oberndorf am Neckar, Lauterbach, Hardt, Schramberg, Epfendorf, Vöhringen, Dunningen, Fluorn-Winzeln.

Back to the main travel guide: Rottweil.