Gutach (Black Forest Railway): Open-Air Museum and Trails

Getting to Gutach and its culture

The “Gutach Freilichtmuseum” railway stop makes it possible to travel by Ortenau S-Bahn. If you are planning to travel by train, check the current timetable before setting off. Gutach is also home to the Hasemann-Liebich Art Museum in the former “Krämerhaus.”

At the Black Forest Open-Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof, six fully furnished single-roof farmhouses and numerous outbuildings show how people lived, made their homes, and worked over the past 400 years. The farmhouses and outbuildings provide several settings for the historical displays; the focus is not only on types of homes, but also on everyday life and work. Daily craft demonstrations add to the experience. There are also hands-on activities for museum visitors, adding practical experiences to a visit. This lets you combine a focus on historic buildings with demonstrations and hands-on activities of your own.

Hiking trails and leisure activities

For time outdoors, Gutach has well-marked hiking trails, including the “Gutach Valley Trail.” If you would like to spend the day differently, the Gutach toboggan run, the Black Forest Bob, is another option: it is more than 1,150 metres long. Before the descent, the lift takes riders 300 metres uphill. The two figures describe different parts of the experience: the length of the toboggan run and the ascent by lift.

Adventure Golf in Gutach has 18 themed holes. Another option is the circular trail at the Park with All the Senses, which leads to scent pavilions, tactile stations, and meditation caves. These activities differ considerably in focus: hiking is the main attraction on the Valley Trail, the Black Forest Bob is all about the downhill ride, and the circular trail links a variety of sensory stations. Together with the open-air museum, they offer a range of very different activities, so every day of your holiday need not be the same.

Choose the right focus

When looking for a holiday apartment in Gutach, you can consider which experiences interest you most during your stay. If you want your trip to focus mainly on the historical displays at Vogtsbauernhof, craft demonstrations and hands-on activities are part of that experience. If you are more interested in hiking trails or leisure activities, you can make these preferences a priority when planning your holiday. The places and activities mentioned offer specific ideas; the right choice depends on how you want to spend your time.

Gutach in the wider Ortenau district

The Ortenau district lies between the Rhine and the Black Forest. Across this wider travel destination, there are 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 overview complements the picture of Gutach, whose attractions presented here are the open-air museum, hiking trails, and various leisure activities.

Discover more destinations: Berghaupten, Renchen, Friesenheim, Rheinau, Sasbach, Mahlberg, Lauf, Seelbach.

Go to the main travel overview: Ortenau district.