Ühlingen-Birkendorf: Hiking and Culture

For a stay in Ühlingen-Birkendorf, you can choose how to balance nature and culture: from the extensive network of hiking trails to a guided tour of the Bannwald Schwarzahalden forest, as well as a chapel, concert series and carnival tradition. For planning your day, both the distances shown on the destination signs and the specific duration of the forest tour can be helpful. For guided tours, events and digital offerings, it is advisable to check the current packages or dates in advance.

Hiking: Trails, Wayfinding and Bannwald Forest

The municipality’s hiking trail network covers more than 180 kilometres, including around 117 kilometres of circular trails. If you are planning a hike that returns to its starting point, the circular trails are an obvious place to start. The destination signs in Ühlingen-Birkendorf help hikers and cyclists find their way: they indicate both nearby and more distant destinations and give distances in kilometres. The signposting system was completed in 2020. The kilometre figures help you gauge how far away destinations are.

A guided tour through the Bannwald Schwarzahalden forest offers a different way to plan your day than the extensive trail network. It covers around five kilometres on narrow, sometimes steep paths and takes about three hours. For this tour, both the approximate duration and the condition of the paths are relevant to your plans. Check the current tour packages before your visit.

The Bannwald Schwarzahalden is a forest area covering more than 4 km² and is part of the Black Forest Biosphere Reserve, recognised by UNESCO in 2017. The Ühlingen-Birkendorf municipal area also includes 93 hectares of state-owned forest. Together, these figures give an idea of the forest area’s size and the municipality’s connection to the biosphere reserve.

Ölberg Chapel, Concert Series and Carnival

In Riedern, the Ölberg Chapel is located beneath the sacristy of the St. Leodegar Provostry. It is dedicated to the Agony of Jesus and is accessible from the outside. Its dedication and location beneath the sacristy clearly identify this religious site.

The “Kultur im Treppenwinkel” concert series is also held at the St. Leodegar Provostry in Riedern. The Baroque staircase serves as the performance space. This means Riedern offers two distinct cultural points of interest: the dedication of the Ölberg Chapel and music in a Baroque interior.

The Ühlingen Narrenhüsli is a museum devoted to figures associated with the local carnival tradition. It offers another cultural focus alongside the religious and musical attractions. Anyone interested in carnival will find a subject here that is directly connected to local tradition.

Festivals, Kneipp Footbath and Village Rally

The Wassertretbeckenfest is celebrated every year in Hürrlingen. The Hürrlingen fire brigade department and the HüRi carnival association take turns organising it each year. For specific plans, it is worth checking the dates for the relevant edition, as future festival programmes may vary.

A Kneipp footbath with park-like green space was built in Hürrlingen in 1982. If you are planning a visit, check the current conditions in advance.

The digital Ühlingen village rally starts at the town hall in Ühlingen and is aimed at families with children aged six and over. For families, this is an activity with a set starting point and a specified age group. As digital availability can change, check that the activity is available before making plans.

When choosing between the hiking options, the guided tour offers the clearest time reference: it takes about three hours, while the municipality’s trail network includes many kilometres of circular trails. Culture enthusiasts can consider the chapel, concert series and carnival museum as distinct points of interest; for festivals and digital activities, checking current dates or availability is part of planning.

Discover more destinations: Todtmoos, Dachsberg, Häusern, Lottstetten, Sankt Blasien, Stühlingen, Eggingen, Bernau Im Schwarzwald

See the main travel overview: Waldshut.