The best city hikes and walks in the Kinzigtal

The History of the Fools' Fountains by Andreas Steidel Fools' fountains can be found at many strongholds of Carnival today. But what is their actual story and what do they depict? An excursion to the fools frozen in bronze in the Kinzig Valley. Container Carnival is a brief pleasure: a week of foolish revelry in the late winter, with much noise and clamor – and then the spectacle is over. The costume wearers take off their outfits and the mask wearers remove their masks. Sweep-out on Ash Wednesday, and next year it will continue in the same place. This means that those who visit the strongholds of the Swabian-Alemannic Carnival at other times of the year often miss out on a large part of the local culture and identity. This is also why, in the second half of the 20th century, people began to look for ways to permanently depict this elementary piece of their own tradition: the Fools' Fountain came into fashion. Across the country, the most important figures of local Carnival were cast in bronze and depicted around a babbling accessory. Those who study them closely gain an insight into the local Carnival culture and can get to know some of its most important figures. Wolfach has a particular wealth of bronze fools. In a picturesque corner on the edge of the old town, right on the banks of the Kinzig river, stands a Fools' Fountain with no fewer than 13 figures. It shows the Wolfach Fasnet in all its shades, a still life created by the artist's hand of those who are actually not still at all. It was erected as early as 1970 – and has been expanded three times since then. What is truly special about it is that the same artist was at work each time: At the age of 35, the Black Forest sculptor Walter Haaf from Zell am Harmersbach began designing the Wolfach fountain, and at the age of 87, he added the final figures in 2022. "A stroke of luck," says Christian Oberfell, deputy Fools' Father, as the leading Carnival figures are called in the Wolfach guild. Oberfell can tell a short story about each of the 13 fools: about the Wohlauf-Mann with the pointed cap, who parodies a night watchman, about the Rungunkel, which is always worn by men, although it depicts an old woman, ..... Source: https://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/schwarzwald/online-magazin/geschichten-aus-dem-schwarzwald/kultur/die-geschichte-der-narrenbrunnen

Narrenbrunnen Haslach im Kinzigtal The Narrenbrunnen at the corner of Engelstrasse and Hofstetterstraße in the old town of Haslach im Kinzigtal shows figures of the Haslach carnival. The Narrenbrunnen was erected in 1976, the artist was master sculptor Heribert Maier. The figures include a Ranzengardist and Hemdglunker from the Haslach jester guild. The basin is formed by granite boulders from Schönwald im Schwarzwald. Source: https://www.alemannische-seiten.de/deutschland/haslach_narrenbrunnen-haslach.php

Town Hall – Haslach The town hall building, a listed monument from 1732, is located on the market square, in the central village core at a significant urbanistic site. The building was carefully examined by heritage conservationists and restorers and restored according to the findings. The adjacent building, a new construction, consists of two former plot houses, which were rebuilt on a historic site. Typical for Haslach is the gable-end orientation towards the street, as well as the narrow spaces between buildings (fire alleys). The main entrance to both buildings is via the open hall on the ground floor of the old town hall. Through an airlock, one enters the extension, which houses the central staircase and elevator system. The old and new buildings are connected on the upper floor via a bridge, and in the attic via a tunnel. In the interest of citizen-oriented administration, the rooms with high public traffic were accommodated on the lower floors. The large meeting room was moved to the attic of the historic town hall. From the outside, the carefully renovated wall paintings as well as the picturesque decoration with artisan coats of arms, banners, and ornaments in the open hall are striking. The new buildings consciously subordinate themselves to the historic town hall and stand independently and separately in the streetscape. Source: https://www.schaudt-architekten.de/portfolio/rathaus-haslach/

Birthplace of Heinrich Hansjakob - Haslach im Kinzigtal - LKR. Ortenaukreis Plaque with inscription: In this house, the popular writer Heinrich Hansjakob was born on August 19, 1837. Dedicated by his friends on his 60th birthday.

You can do wonderful bike tours on the Kinzig dam

There is a cycle path along the Kinzig river through the Kinzigtal valley. It starts in Freudenstadt and ends in Offenburg.

Since 2002, the “newspaper reader” by Haslach artist Frieder Haser has been announcing “Haslach News” in front of the town hall, from the arrival of the Capuchins at the monastery to the historical mining and Haslach’s clubs around 1900.

The Gengenbach Herb Garden This garden was established in 1993 and completely redesigned in 2003. It is located within the grounds of the former Benedictine Abbey of Gengenbach, on the east side of St. Mary's Church. There you will find a wide variety of herbs and flowers. Furthermore, this space, with its seating areas and newly constructed pavilion, invites you to relax and unwind.