Staufen im Breisgau

Historic Townscape and Notable Buildings

Staufen’s planned historic town layout is protected as a monument of special significance and as a complete ensemble. The townscape includes the market square, Marktstraße, now called Hauptstraße, rows of houses, small streams running through the streets and fountains. These features give the town center its historic character. Anyone interested in urban history and architectural styles can appreciate them as a cohesive ensemble, rather than focusing only on a single building.

Another notable structure is the cast-iron bridge over the Neumagen near Café Decker. It was made in 1845 as part of the Baden Main Line for a railway crossing near Kenzingen and was moved to Staufen in 1871 to serve as a road bridge. The bridge is one of the few surviving cast-iron bridges in Germany. Its construction is distinctive: the roadway is suspended between the side girders. The dates also tell the story of the structure’s changing use.

Museums Spanning Town History, Ceramics and Tango

The Town Museum in the town hall presents Staufen’s history through historical objects. Its exhibition highlights include Staufen Castle, the figure of the legendary black magician Johannes Faust, the history of the crafts and the town’s current cultural life. The topics range from local stories to the activities that have shaped life in Staufen.

The Ceramics Museum focuses on the town’s pottery tradition. It is housed in a former potter’s home, the only surviving evidence of the pottery tradition that has flourished in the town since the Middle Ages. The workshop of the Maier-Bregger potter family is fully preserved, including the clay pit, potter’s wheel, drying rack and wood-fired kilns. Since 1991, the building has been a ceramics museum with a reach beyond the region. Every year, the Baden State Museum Karlsruhe presents a special exhibition there featuring ceramics from all historical periods.

A very different collection is on display at the Tango & Bandoneon Museum, which opened in 2014 at Kapuzinerhof Staufen. The unique Steinhart Collection comprises 450 bandoneons and extensive documents on the history of tango. The supporting association also offers courses in Argentine tango, as well as concerts and film screenings. Alongside town and craft history, Staufen therefore also offers dedicated points of interest for music enthusiasts.

Schlossberg, Wine and Active Pursuits

The castle on the Schlossberg offers a view across the entire town layout. The Schlossberg is also an outstanding vineyard. Town history and winegrowing therefore come together in a landmark location in Staufen. If you like to combine cultural discoveries with regional character when choosing a holiday destination, you can take this into account when deciding on Staufen.

For an active outing, consider the Staufen high ropes course, with nine courses in the Staufen town forest. It can be reached by the Münstertal railway, followed by a short, steep walk of just under ten minutes. This information is useful for planning your day, especially if you would like to combine an excursion with a train ride. Staufen also has a railway line operated by the Südwestdeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft (SWEG).

At the three-day “Wine and Music” street festival, Staufen winemakers and restaurateurs offer fine wines and selected delicacies. Live music is performed from Friday evening through Sunday on stages at the market square, Kronenplatz and Weinbrunnen. The festival brings together food and drink with music at several named locations around town. If you like to base your travel decisions on culture, active pursuits or regional festivals, Staufen offers a range of themes to weigh up when choosing your holiday apartment and destination.

Discover more destinations here: Feldberg, Auggen, Schluchsee, Lenzkirch, Breitnau, Kirchzarten, Bad Krozingen, Oberried.

View the broader travel overview: Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald.