Oberwolfach explores its cultural heritage from several angles: mining history, minerals and mathematics come together in the theme park and at the MiMa, while the Wenzel Mine highlights the history of silver mining. When planning your visit, it is worth distinguishing these attractions from the hiking and route options, which range from a specific GeoTour to a network of trails maintained by the municipality.
Explore mining history and mathematics
At the “Historic Mining, Minerals and Mathematics” theme park in Oberwolfach-Kirche, you can learn about the cultural heritage of this mining community and the connection between minerals and mathematics. Exhibits include a range of mining tools, a walk-through German-style timber-framed mine tunnel, faithfully recreated in detail and featuring a historic mine cart, as well as a mining locomotive and material and passenger cars. This brings specific aspects of historic mining into focus alongside the broader theme.
A Corten steel sculpture featuring the five Platonic solids illustrates the connection between minerals and mathematics in the theme park. It offers a different perspective from the tools and vehicles: here, a sculpture explores the mathematical connection, while the exhibits show the history of mining. The Wenzel Mine visitor mine adds the history of silver mining to this picture. Located in Oberwolfach, it was once one of the most productive silver mines in the Central Black Forest and is also a popular destination for an outing.
Minerals at the MiMa
The MiMa – Museum of Minerals and Mathematics in Oberwolfach features multimedia installations about crystal lattices and symmetries, virtual 3D flights, films and sculptures. A large proportion of the minerals and collections on display comes from the Clara Mine in Oberwolfach. The museum thus brings together minerals from the region, mathematical topics and different forms of presentation. Visitors particularly interested in the connection between mining and minerals will find different thematic focuses at the theme park, the visitor mine and the MiMa, rather than just one perspective on the subject.
Solve puzzles along the way
Anni’s Black Forest Mystery combines a scavenger hunt with an escape room. Families can pick up a backpack containing boxes, locks, clues and activities based on the story “The Missing Dwarf.” The activities and story offer a different way to discover Oberwolfach than visiting a museum or mine. Keep this specific restriction in mind when planning: the hiking trail for Anni’s Black Forest Mystery is not suitable for strollers.
Distinguish between hiking and cycling routes
The GeoTour Oberwolfach starts and ends in Oberwolfach-Gelbach and is listed as 5.6 kilometers long, with a total elevation gain of 260 meters. This is different from the municipality’s own marked hiking trail network, which covers 93.3 kilometers. The GeoTour is a single route with specified details, whereas the distance given for the trail network refers to all marked trails in the municipality.
A cycling route is also described: Tour 06, the “Valley Tour,” runs from Oberwolfach-Kirche through the side valleys of the Wolftal and back to Oberwolfach via the Kreuzsattel, which lies on the Westweg. Check the route details locally before setting off. The tour description gives you a specific route to follow, while the hiking trail network represents a wider choice of marked trails. When planning, you can weigh up a themed visit, a single hiking route, other hiking trails and a cycling tour without treating these options as interchangeable.
Discover more destinations: Kippenheim, Gengenbach, Lautenbach, Ichenheim, Biberach, Oberkirch, Lauf, Kappel-Grafenhausen.
For the regional travel overview: Ortenaukreis.
