Rickenbach brings together striking natural features, hiking trails and cultural sites, each offering a different focus for a stay. The Solfelsen rock is particularly impressive: at 5.40 metres high and weighing around 230 tonnes, it has been a registered natural monument since 1950. It is not a glacial erratic, but was formed by prolonged weathering. For those interested in natural history, both the rock’s dimensions and its formation are key points of interest.
Trails and landscape
The certified Hotzenpfad premium hiking trail is signposted separately along its entire route. If you are looking for a specifically named hiking trail to help plan your trip, this is a clear option for exploring the landscape on foot. In addition, a well-developed, marked network of trails offers hiking opportunities through Rickenbach’s varied landscape of valleys, hills, rivers, forests and meadows. The landscape ranges from hills and valleys to water and woodland.
The Strahlbrusch waterfall offers another way to experience nature. A railing secures the rocky outcrop from which you can see the rugged cliffs over which the Seelbach plunges into the Murg Valley. The Solfelsen rock and the waterfall offer different points of interest: the rock draws attention to its dimensions and geological formation, while Strahlbrusch showcases the cliffs and the course of the Seelbach.
Rickenbach’s leisure activities include the Maisenhardt forest adventure trail and mountain biking routes. Together with the hiking opportunities, these offer various ways to incorporate the landscape and outdoor activities into your travel plans. Whether you would rather include hikes, a mountain biking route or the forest adventure trail in your stay depends on which activity matters most to you.
Culture and traces of history
The Historic Rampart Wall is the partially well-preserved remains of an old fortification. You can follow its course along the Pirschweg from Bergalingen to Rüttehof. This site combines a specific walking route with the history of an earlier fortification, offering a different kind of discovery from the natural features around the Solfelsen rock and the waterfall.
The Catholic parish church of St. Gordian and Epimach also offers its own cultural highlight. It features unique stained-glass windows and a modern chancel image by glass artist Emil Wachter. While the rampart wall recalls an old fortification, the church draws attention to glass and a modern chancel image. If you would like to include culture in your stay, you can explore historical traces and religious art as distinct themes.
Technology in the surrounding area
The Energy Museum is in the surrounding area of Rickenbach, on the edge of Hottingen. Outdoors, a waterwheel and various pumps show how energy can be converted and water pumped uphill without electricity or diesel. This technology theme complements the natural and cultural sites with a look at energy and water. A new audio guide was planned for summer 2025, to let visitors explore the outdoor exhibits outside regular opening hours and learn more about their history and how they work. If this option is important to your plans, check before visiting whether the planned audio guide is now available.
A regional perspective on Waldshut
In the wider destination of Waldshut, the focus turns to an urban theme: when Kaiserstraße became a pedestrian zone in 1989, the Stadtbach stream was moved back to the middle of the street and three fountains were installed again. This story complements Rickenbach’s natural and cultural themes with a perspective on the design of a street and its public space.
Discover more destinations: Altenschwand, Küssaberg, Ibach, Lauchringen, Dachsberg, Stühlingen, Wutöschingen, Dogern.
Go to the main travel overview: Waldshut.
