Elbenschwand is characterised by a scattered settlement pattern: hamlets, farmsteads and individual farms are situated in the valley and on gentle slopes high above the Kleine Wiesental valley, on the north-western slope of the Zeller Blauen. The district consists of the areas of Elbenschwand, Holl and Langensee; its main village extends high above the Kleine Wiese and along the stream between BĂĽrchau and Tegernau. The layout of the settlement can be traced through its named areas, stream and hillside location.
For road directions: between Langensee and BĂĽrchau, the road to Elbenschwand branches off to the right from the L 139 about one kilometre along.
Landscape and Hiking
The landscape changes with elevation, soil and terrain. At lower elevations, beech forest on brown earth soils or shallow, stony raw soils predominates. From around 800 m upwards, species-poor mixed fir forest is also found. Pastures and meadows lie on gentle slopes, level ground and in hollows. Thus, different types of forest stand alongside open pastures and meadows, with the terrain giving each area its own place.
One specific hiking option is the Elbenschwand Memorial Circular Trail: it is a moderately difficult circular hiking trail. “Circular trail” describes the route, while “moderately difficult” describes the level of difficulty—two different details that help you choose a hike.
History in Elbenschwand
A memorial to the Werwolf murders of 1945 stands in the Elbenschwand forest. The KUK initiative erected it on 22 November 2015, on a voluntary basis and at its own expense. The years have different points of reference: 1945 refers to the events commemorated by the memorial, while 2015 is the year it was erected. The history of St. Blasien Abbey also reaches Elbenschwand: the abbey acquired property here through the Lords of Rotenberg.
More topics in the wider Kleines Wiesental destination
In the wider Kleines Wiesental destination, the Nonnenmattweiher lies at an elevation of 913 metres and is one of the highest-lying still waters in the Black Forest. It was artificially dammed in the early 18th century. As a result, part of the boggy cirque floor broke away and formed a floating peat island. Several sphagnum moss species grow on the island, along with hare’s-tail cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum), cranberry (Vacinium oxycoccos) and round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia); plant presence may vary seasonally. The island’s formation and plant life make the pond a distinctive nature topic in the Kleines Wiesental.
In Neuenweg in the Kleines Wiesental, the pollarded beech is considered very old and has grown very wide. In 1935, Tegernau Church was described as a small “Wälderkirchlein” (little forest church) with a small bell tower. Another historic interior can be found at the Zur Krone museum inn in Tegernau: it includes a historic dining room with a side room, an old “Chuchi” (kitchen) with a vaulted cellar dug into the hillside, a historic ballroom, sleeping chambers in the attic and a “Schisshüsli” (outhouse) dating from 1901. These examples add landscape and cultural history to the picture of the wider Kleines Wiesental destination.
Discover more destinations: Wies, Raich, Sallneck, BĂĽrchau, Neuenweg, Wieslet.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Kleines Wiesental.
