Raich gives hikers a choice of different time frames: the Rieder Bächle Circular Trail is a measured loop between Raich and Ried, while a hike to Nonnenmattweiher can take anything from a short walk to a full day, depending on the starting point. There is also the historic file-making workshop by Lindenhalle and a traditional festival at Hörnle, held every two years. You can therefore plan your stay around a specific trail length, a longer hike or a cultural theme.

Hiking from Raich: Trail Profile and Time Frame

The Rieder Bächle Circular Trail between Raich and Ried is 4.5 kilometres long, has 200 metres of elevation gain and an average gradient of 9 percent, and is classed as moderately difficult. This gives you a clear picture of the distance, elevation profile and difficulty rating. The Hörnle Circular Trail in Raich is considerably longer at 11.6 kilometres, with 560 metres of elevation gain.

The Hörnle Circular Trail starts at the car park by Lindenhalle. In clear weather, the views extend across the valley and the Jura mountains to the Alps. Check current trail conditions before setting out. The two circular trails differ in both length and elevation gain, making it easier to choose a route than by comparing kilometres alone.

Nonnenmattweiher can also be reached on foot from Raich. Depending on your starting point, the hike can be short or take a full day. The time required for this hike therefore depends on your chosen starting point; plan accordingly, based on how much time you want to allow for the route.

Crafts and Traditions in Raich

There is a historic file-making workshop by Lindenhalle in Raich. Its machines show how files were made individually as recently as 50 years ago. The workshop was previously operated in Wieslet; in 2015/16, the machines found a new home in a building constructed in Raich. The former place of operation and the later home of the machines are both part of this craft history.

A large traditional festival is held at Hörnle in Raich every two years. It shows how people used to work and celebrate in their homes and farmyards, as well as in the fields. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates before making your plans.

The former Altwaldeck Castle is also part of Raich’s history: it stood within the municipal area and had probably already fallen into ruin at an early date. This historical context differs from the hiking trails described today and gives the village another connection to its past.

Raich’s Historic Landscape

The historical description of the village, extending up to 1970, portrays Raich as a mosaic of wooded heights and open settlement hollows: steep slopes, ridges and spurs were mostly covered with beech forests at lower elevations, while the hollows with settlements and the level ground were covered with meadows or pastures. This landscape picture adds a historical perspective on the area’s varied terrain to the trail descriptions.

Distinctive Places in the Wider Kleines Wiesental Destination

The wider Kleines Wiesental destination offers other cultural and landscape themes. In 1935, Tegernau Church was described as a small “forest church” with a little bell tower. In Neuenweg, the pollarded beech is very old and has grown very wide. Both examples refer to places in Kleines Wiesental in their own right, rather than to features of Raich.

Nonnenmattweiher, reachable on foot from Raich, lies at an elevation of 913 metres and is one of the highest-altitude still-water lakes in the Black Forest. It was artificially dammed in the early 18th century. Part of the peat-covered basin bottom then broke away, forming a floating peat island. Several species of sphagnum moss grow on the island, along with hare’s-tail cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum), cranberry (Vacinium oxycoccos) and round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia); the presence of these plants can vary seasonally.

In Tegernau, the Zur Krone museum inn comprises a historic dining room with a side room, an old “Chuchi” with a vaulted cellar dug into the hillside, a historic ballroom, sleeping chambers in the loft and a “Schisshüsli” (outhouse) dating from 1901. These interiors complement the landscape and craft themes with a distinct glimpse of historic building and living styles in the wider Kleines Wiesental destination.

Discover more destinations: Sallneck, Wieslet, Bürchau, Elbenschwand, Neuenweg, Wies.

Back to the wider travel overview: Kleines Wiesental.