Areas of the Stollhofener Platte Nature Reserve lie within the boundaries of Söllingen. The connection to the town brings together a protected natural area with other clearly distinct topics: the Söllingen/Greffern Polder, the historic escort station and customs post, St. Mauritius, and the development of today’s Baden-Airpark. This mix is useful when planning because it appeals to different interests—nature and water management, local history, church art, or an airport tour with a specified duration.
Natural Areas and Water Management
The Stollhofener Platte Nature Reserve includes areas within the boundaries of Söllingen. The Söllingen/Greffern Polder adds the technical side of flood protection to the landscape theme: it covers 580 hectares and has a retention capacity of 12 million cubic metres. These figures describe two different dimensions—the area of the polder and the amount of water its retention capacity can hold. The polder is used during extreme flood events. The nature reserve and the polder therefore represent different aspects of the landscape: protected areas and technical flood preparedness.
The Polder Information Trail provides information panels about flood protection, the Integrated Rhine Programme, the Söllingen/Greffern Polder, and the function and performance of important structures. It takes visitors from the topic of flood protection to the structures themselves. Those interested in the technical side of water management will find a clear focus here.
Local History and St. Mauritius
Söllingen was an important escort station, with a customs post held as a fief of the Holy Roman Empire documented from the early 14th century. Both details link the town to historic travel: the escort station points to the provision of escorts, while the customs post refers to the collection of customs duties. This offers a different perspective on Söllingen from nature or water management; here, the town’s history is seen through its former role in transport.
The Church of St. Mauritius in Rheinmünster-Söllingen dates to 1842/1843 and features remarkable Baroque altars from Rastatt’s Church of St. Bernard. The date establishes the church’s historical context, while the altars’ origins provide a separate art-historical connection. Together with the documented customs post from the early 14th century, these offer two clearly distinct historical points of reference: a documented local function and a dated church building.
From Airbase to Baden-Airpark
The Canadian Airbase Söllingen closed in 1994. A regional airport was planned for the site, which covers around 700 hectares and is near Baden-Baden; it is now known as Baden-Airpark. The history of the airbase puts the site’s development into context, while an airport tour is a present-day activity with a specific time frame.
Baden-Airpark offers family tours of the airport lasting around 1.5 to 2 hours. The approximate duration gives you a concrete guide for planning your own schedule. Check current dates and tour availability before making plans.
Discover more destinations: Greffern.
View the overview of the wider area: Rheinmünster.
