Discover Gaggenau: Forests, Trails and Culture

Hiking Trails and Nature in the Murg Valley

For a longer hike, take the Murgleiter: This 111-kilometer long-distance trail starts in the Gaggenau district of Bad Rotenfels and leads to the Schliffkopf near Baiersbronn. The German Hiking Institute has certified it as a premium hiking trail. Further along its regional route, varied paths and natural trails shape the experience; the landscapes include narrow rocky gorges, floodplains, steep wooded slopes, and medieval castle ruins with panoramic views. The route thus brings together different impressions of the deeply incised Murg Valley.

The nature trail offers a different way to experience nature. Gaggenau teacher Willi Echle laid it out in 1970; it was renovated in 2020. At eight stations, you can learn about forest habitats and their inhabitants. While the Murgleiter is designed as a long-distance hiking trail, the nature trail focuses specifically on habitats and wildlife—two different options to consider when planning days outdoors.

Water, Saunas and Relaxation in Green Surroundings

Rotherma combines an extensive range of bathing facilities with a sauna area of more than 5,000 square meters. The facilities include a rock sauna, an ice grotto and a salt room. If you are planning a stay that includes time for swimming and saunas, this offers a different focus from the trails in the Murg Valley. Check the operator’s latest opening information before your visit.

Waldseebad is set in idyllic woodland in Gaggenau’s Traischbach Valley and has a tradition stretching back almost 100 years. Bad Rotenfels Kurpark offers an exercise trail, a Kneipp wading pool, a mini-golf course, a beer garden and the Rotherma running trail. This means your itinerary can include not only longer hikes but also facilities for exercise and spending time in the spa park.

Village History and Special Places

In Michelbach, the village association, together with the local council, has organized the village festival every two years on the first weekend in September since 1978. The festival showcases the village’s history of more than 900 years, its customs and rural life in a variety of ways; the old half-timbered houses in the town center provide the setting. Since specific festival dates may vary, it is worth checking the date for your travel year before your trip.

Another topic in cultural history is the Margrave’s Rotenfels Palace. It is now home to the State Academy for School Art, School and Amateur Theatre, and has shone in new splendor since 1995. The Unimog Museum adds a focus on the history of technology: it is open Tuesday to Sunday and on Easter Monday and Whit Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rides on the outdoor course are available during opening hours. Opening hours and rides may change, so check the museum’s latest information before your visit.

Also in the wider destination of Rastatt

In the wider destination of Rastatt, the town museum offers its own focus on cultural history. It is housed in a Baroque town palace opposite the Residenzschloss and features permanent exhibitions on Rastatt’s history over the past 300 years, as well as on prehistory and early history. Rastatt Palace was the first Baroque residence built on German soil and was designed after the model of Versailles. Favorite Palace, in turn, is the oldest and only German porcelain palace to have been preserved in its original form.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Gaggenau, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your vacation: hiking and nature, bathing and sauna facilities, or village history and culture. This lets you choose your location based on what you most want to experience during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Sinzheim, Hügelsheim, Bühlertal, Kuppenheim, Muggensturm, Rheinmünster, Steinmauern.

Back to the main travel overview: Rastatt.