Sasbach: Culture, Landscape and Hiking Trails

Sasbach lies directly on the Baden Wine Route and, together with Obersasbach, Sasbachwalden and Lauf, is part of the Sasbachwalden holiday region. Cultural history, signposted trails and a traditional fair give the town a range of distinctive features: you can focus your holiday on art and history, hiking or the market.

Museums and Places of Remembrance

The Turenne Museum in Sasbach is a German-French museum and a branch museum of the House of History Baden-Württemberg. The Turenne monument commemorates the French Marshal Turenne and is regarded as a symbol of today’s Franco-German friendship. The museum and monument add a distinctive cultural note to Sasbach.

The Toni Merz Gallery offers a different perspective: this art museum is in the centre 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 gallery thus connects a local cultural venue with the life story of an artist whose dates link him to places across the wider region.

Farm History and Erlenbad

The listed Kühnerhof in Sasbach preserves a sawmill, a grain mill, farm buildings and the miller’s house, including its living room and kitchen, as an ensemble. It provides a vivid account of farm life and work over the past 300 years. Guided tours and special events offer insights into life and work in the 19th and 20th centuries. If you would like to plan a tour or event, check the available dates in advance.

History can also be read in the buildings of Obersasbach: the monastery of the Franciscan Sisters of Erlenbad was built between 1924 and 1926. The Erlenbad monastery church is now located in Palais Erlenbad, a space for culture and communication and a place of music and inspiration.

Hiking Trails and Seasonal Landscapes

The AugenBlick Obersasbach loop starts at the town hall or the Obersasbach Tourist Information Office and follows the Sulzbächel stream to Erlenbad Monastery. On narrow paths along the Aubächle stream, the route also reaches a viewpoint overlooking the Rhine Plain as far as the Vosges. If you are interested in the signposted Obersasbach Experience Circular Trail, it offers a different, clearly defined route: it starts and ends at Obersasbach church square.

The seasons also change the landscape you experience while hiking around Sasbach and Obersasbach. In spring, cherry blossoms shape the scenery; in autumn, colourful vineyards and neighbouring forests add different accents. These are two specific points to consider when planning, if you would rather experience spring blossoms or autumn colours. Together with the different starting and finishing points, this information can help you plan your hiking day around the landscape and route.

The Katharinenmarkt: A Local Tradition

The Sasbach fair has been held for more than 230 years as a thanksgiving for the past harvest year, in honour of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of farmers and winegrowers. Between 80 and 100 stalls are set up at the annual Katharinenmarkt; the number may vary slightly. The market covers Kirchplatz, Lindenplatz, Kirchgraben and Großer Winkel, as well as Bachstraße and Oberdorfstraße up to the bridge. Its long tradition and the many named squares give the market a distinctive connection to local life.

Choosing Accommodation Based on Your Interests

When choosing a holiday apartment in Sasbach, the focus of your planned trip can help you decide: museums and historic buildings, a hike with views over the Rhine Plain, or a stay centred around the Katharinenmarkt each offer a different reason to visit. If guided tours or the market are important to your plans, check the dates in advance.

As a broader point of reference, the Ortenau district lies between the Rhine and the Black Forest. The Ortenau district has 23 nature reserves covering a total area of around 3,110 hectares; they extend from the Rhine Plain to the higher elevations of the Black Forest. This gives an overview of the wider regional setting, while the museums, trails and market tradition described above provide specific points of interest in Sasbach.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Nordrach, Meißenheim, Lauf, Hausach, Schutterwald, Kippenheim, Ringsheim, Ettenheim.

Back to the overarching travel guide: Ortenau district.