Rickenbach – Nature, Hiking Trails and Culture

At Strahlbrusch Waterfall, a rocky outcrop protected by a railing offers a view of rugged cliffs over which the Seelbach plunges down into the Murg Valley. Here, attention turns to the watercourse and its drop into the valley, while Solfelsen represents the slow weathering of rock. The two natural attractions thus offer different points of focus for a stay centred on rock formations or water.

Hiking and outdoor activities

The certified premium hiking trail “Hotzenpfad” is signposted separately along its entire length. This provides a clearly identified point of reference for planning a hike. A well-developed and signposted network of trails also opens up opportunities to explore Rickenbach’s varied landscape of valleys, hills, rivers, forests and meadows. You can plan your outings around a named hiking trail or the landscape features that interest you most.

The municipality’s leisure activities also include the Maisenhardt Forest Discovery Trail and mountain biking routes. Together with the hiking options, these offer a choice of ways to get active: on foot along hiking trails, on the forest discovery trail, or by mountain bike. This distinction can already help when choosing a holiday apartment if you want to shape your holiday around a particular kind of outdoor activity.

Art and history

The Catholic parish church of St. Gordian and Epimachus offers a distinctive artistic highlight: it features unique stained-glass windows and a modern choir image by glass artist Emil Wachter. The cultural theme thus ranges from sacred glass art to a modern work of art.

The Historic Wall is another way to explore the past. It is the partially well-preserved remains of an old fortification; its course can be followed along the Pirschweg from Bergalingen to Rüttehof. The wall is therefore more than a visible remnant of a structure: its route along the path makes the former fortification legible in the landscape.

In the wider surroundings of Rickenbach, on the outskirts of Hottingen, a waterwheel and various pumps in the outdoor area of the Energy Museum demonstrate how energy can be converted and water pumped uphill without electricity or diesel. This technical theme complements art and history with a practical look at energy and water. An audio tour was planned for summer 2025, offering insights into the history and operation of the exhibits and allowing visitors to explore the outdoor displays outside regular opening hours. Check before visiting whether this offering is now available.

In the wider Waldshut destination, Kaiserstraße tells of a different approach to public space: when it became a pedestrian zone in 1989, the town stream was moved back to the middle of the street and three fountains were rebuilt. This historical feature draws attention to streets and water, complementing Rickenbach’s natural and cultural themes with an urban perspective.

Choose a holiday apartment to suit your vacation

When choosing a holiday apartment, your travel plans come first: do you want your holiday to focus mainly on nature and activity, or would you rather give greater weight to art, history and technology? Rickenbach offers a range of points of interest to suit these preferences.

Discover more destinations: Altenschwand, Ühlingen-Birkendorf, Bonndorf im Schwarzwald, Häusern, Bad Säckingen, Wehr, Altenburg, Dachsberg.

View the wider travel overview: Waldshut.