Arch Bridge and Historical Traces
At the southern edge of Geschwend’s lower village, a stone arch bridge spans the Prägbach. It is built of ashlar masonry, with battlement-like parapets accentuating the structure. The bridge was newly built in 1864. Ashlar masonry refers to a construction method using dressed stone blocks; the battlement-like shape is a separate design detail. If you are interested in architecture, the combination of material, form and year of construction captures a distinctive piece of local history.
Dürracker near Geschwend is also associated with an early date: it was mentioned as early as 1488. In 1519, the so-called Dürracker right of the valleys of Todtnau and Schönau was established there; annual assemblies of the valley residents were held at Dürracker. The two dates mark different events: 1488 is the first mention of Dürracker, while 1519 marks the establishment of the right. This brings together, at a named place, a historical reference, a legal connection to the two valleys and the assemblies of the valley residents.
Until 1970, Geschwend was rural in character and had well-preserved old buildings, including Black Forest farmhouses. The date “until 1970” places this rural character in time; the Black Forest farmhouses are a specific example of the old building stock. This brings together the earlier history of Dürracker, the bridge’s construction in 1864 and a settlement description anchored in time.
Landscape and Cycling Routes in Geschwend
Geschwender Halde is located in the “Gletscherkessel Präg” nature reserve and is therefore subject to both the Bannwald (strict forest reserve) regulations and the nature reserve regulations. The Geschwend footbath is located in Dürracker, at 79674 Todtnau. Geschwend also offers numerous cycling routes. Alongside the historical topics, the protected-area status and cycling are therefore additional aspects to consider when planning your trip.
Todtnau as the Wider Travel Destination
Todtnau itself is located in the Southern Black Forest Nature Park and the Black Forest Biosphere Reserve, between Feldberg and Belchen in the upper Wiesental valley. Within the wider travel destination of Todtnau, Todtnau Waterfall is located in the Todtnau mountain area, between the holiday resorts of Todtnauberg and Aftersteg. With a drop of 97 metres, it is Baden-Württemberg’s highest natural waterfall. At the entrance to Todtnauberg, the 450-metre-long BLACKFORESTLINE spans the waterfall. The bridge is around 120 metres above the waterfall and is supported by 76 mm steel cables and 16-metre pylons.
A cultural highlight in Todtnau is the Brush Museum: its permanent exhibition presents the life and work of Karl Ludwig Nessler. The museum also explores the history of the Todtnau brush industry from 1770 to the present day. For activities, Todtnau offers hiking, cycling and mountain biking routes of varying difficulty, with views of the Black Forest. Compared with the many cycling routes in Geschwend, the wider travel destination of Todtnau adds other types of routes and information about levels of difficulty.
In the wider travel destination of Todtnau, the rustic and cosy mountain huts at Stübenwasen, Gisiboden and Hasenhorn invite you to enjoy a light meal. There are also designated tobogganing areas in Todtnauberg. The region’s range of attractions thus extends from nature and culture to cycling, hiking and mountain biking routes, as well as tobogganing, while the arch bridge and the history of Dürracker give Geschwend its own distinctive character.
Discover more destinations: Todtnauberg, Aftersteg.
Back to the main travel overview: Todtnau.
