Explore Willstätt through two distinct highlights: cycling tours along the Kinzig and local history associated with the Baroque author Johann Michael Moscherosch. The routes vary in their destinations: some pass local landmarks, while others connect Willstätt with nearby towns or explore the surrounding area.

Cycling Routes with Different Highlights

The “Via the EuroVelo Route to Willstätt” cycling tour passes along the Kinzig nature trail and by the Kinzig weir in town. It is an easy ride with no significant climbs. Check current route conditions before setting off.

Willstätt has a well-developed cycling network, with connections to long-distance cycle routes and links to neighboring towns and municipalities. One specific themed route is the literary cycle route “Per Pedal zur Poesie” (“To Poetry by Pedal”): it connects Willstätt with Oberkirch and Renchen, bringing the three towns together in a Baroque triangle. Alongside the Kinzig landmarks, this offers a route with literary and Baroque connections.

The Mühlenradweg (Mill Cycle Route) adds another option in the surrounding area. It is described as a 34- or 52-kilometer tour through wide Ried landscapes, green meadows, and old trees, past bathing lakes and through villages and forests. In Willstätt, it passes the mill, which lies directly on the Alte Kinzig. The routes therefore differ in more than just length: the EuroVelo tour leads to local waterside landmarks, “Per Pedal zur Poesie” connects three towns, and the Mill Cycle Route winds through a landscape of villages and nature.

Moscherosch and the Willstätt Mill

Johann Michael Moscherosch was born in Willstätt on March 7, 1601. The Baroque author, satirist, and moralist from the Upper Rhine region is also known by the name “Philander von Sittewald.” A monument in his honor stands beside the Baroque church. His satirical visions held up an unmasking distorting mirror to his time and served as a model for Grimmelshausen. The monument, his birthplace, and his literary influence offer different ways to discover his story.

The Willstätt Mill also connects local history and culture: an exhibition on Moscherosch is housed on the ground floor. The mill itself was built in the late 19th century, after the previous industrial mill burned down to its foundations in 1888. The mill can therefore be seen both as a stop on the Mill Cycle Route and as part of local history.

The Kinzig Trail and Display Raft

Topics covered by the Kinzig Trail along the Alte Kinzig include the river’s history, people and occupations, animals and events, plants, technology, and, above all, water. The 20 information boards were removed during renovation work along the Alte Kinzig and around the Alte Mühle; a new concept is planned. The trail’s topics and the current status of the information boards are therefore two separate aspects to consider when planning.

Another distinctive waterside feature was added in 2026: a new, faithful replica display raft was installed on the banks of the Kinzig near Giesenplatz (Sandgasse). It serves as an educational exhibit and a photo opportunity. Together with the Kinzig weir and the Kinzig Trail, it highlights the connection between the local cycling tour and the river, without requiring a long route.

Willstätt as a Starting Point

Willstätt is also a good starting point for tours to tourist destinations and attractions in the region. The wider Ortenaukreis district lies between the Rhine and the Black Forest. It has 23 nature reserves covering a total area of around 3,110 hectares, stretching from the Rhine plain to the higher elevations of the Black Forest.

Discover more destinations: Neuried, Mahlberg, Kappel-Grafenhausen, Oberwolfach, Kehl, Hohberg, Bad Peterstal-Griesbach, Wolfach

See the main travel guide: Ortenaukreis.