The Winterhalter Trail offers a direct way to explore Menzenschwand’s history: it runs for 3.4 kilometres through and around the village, tracing the lives and extensive body of work of the painter brothers Franz Xaver and Hermann Winterhalter. Both were born and grew up in Menzenschwand. The trail opened on 14 June 2025 and has nine stops.
Winterhalter and Local History
The Old Village Church offers a different perspective on the village’s history. It was built in 1687–1688 as the Catholic parish church of St. Martin, handed over to the Protestant parish in 1976, and consecrated as the Church of the Redeemer in 1978. The ceiling and wall paintings are also part of this history: old paintings were found beneath several layers of paint and uncovered after restoration work from 1976 to 1978. The building, handover and restoration thus mark different stages in the church’s development.
The Winterhalter Association hosts film evenings, concerts, exhibitions and readings in the Old Village Church. The programme may vary from one event to another. Those interested in cultural life can explore not only the biographies of the painter brothers, but also the association’s event themes.
Nature and Seasonal Options
For a nature-focused perspective, the Menzenschwand Waterfalls are a special highlight of the Menzenschwand Geißenpfad. The waterfalls are a point of interest in their own right, alongside the village’s cultural and historical attractions.
One specific winter option is the Mösleloipe I. This is an easy classic-style loop trail starting in Menzenschwand Hinterdorf. It is suitable for beginners, as it runs mostly across flat terrain. Whether it can be used in the season depends on snow conditions. This makes it a different kind of travel experience from the Winterhalter Trail or the history of the village church.
The attractions can be distinguished by interest: the Winterhalter Trail follows an artist’s biography, the church brings together the history of its construction and use, and the Mösleloipe I is an easy classic-style loop trail whose seasonal use depends on snow conditions. The waterfalls add a natural highlight along the Geißenpfad. This allows you to plan your trip around the questions that interest you most.
St. Blasien as the Wider Travel Destination
If you broaden your view to the wider travel destination, St. Blasien offers its own cultural and historical points of interest. St. Blasien Cathedral was consecrated as an abbey church in 1783; at the time, its dome was the third-largest church dome in Europe. The central domed space measures 36 metres in diameter. This is exactly equal to the height from the floor to the crown of the dome.
The Sanagarten also tells the story of St. Blasien as a spa town. The park was created between 1923 and 1925 as the promenade garden of the former lung sanatorium. It is considered an outstanding example of representative garden architecture of the 1920s and a testament to the city’s glamorous past.
The weekly market in St. Blasien is listed as taking place on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the Sparkasse; check the current date before your trip. By car, St. Blasien can be reached via the B500 express road from Titisee, Schluchsee and Häusern, or via Aha on Schluchsee and Menzenschwand. SBG bus services operate year-round from Seebrugg railway station. Check current timetables for your journey.
For the wider travel overview: Sankt Blasien.
