The Upper Rhine Roman Cycle Route

The Route:200 km long, the Roman Upper Rhine Cycle Route in the western Black Forest connects Grenzach-Wyhlen with Offenburg. This route is packed with Roman history. In 13 captivating museums, archaeological relics give you an insight into daily life during the period. A large number of very well-preserved ruins also testify to the region’s Roman past. The route passes through the Markgräflerland, the Kaiserstuhl and the Ortenau District.

The Region: The start is in Grenzach-Wyhlen in front of the Roman villa, the "Römervilla", which is now a regional museum. The route follows the German-Swiss border via Rheinfelden and Lörrach to the former Roman lands of Nollingen and Brombach. In 1981, excavations have uncovered agricultural tools and carbonised apples from the Roman period. These remains are shown today at Lörrach’s Three Countries museum. The next part of the route passes the two churches of St. Peter in Fischingen and the church of Baslingen in the municipality of Efringen-Kirchen. The latter, unintentionally built on ancient Roman walls, is now famous for its impressive frescoes. The next stop is the Roman pisiform iron ore deposit in the southern Markgräflerland between Schliengen, Liel and Hertingen. Much written evidence proves the presence of ancient Roman homes in this area. In Müllheim, St. Martin's Church, now an exhibition and concert venue, stands on the remains of the main building of one of the largest Roman farmhouses in the eastern Upper Rhine Valley. A few kilometres to the north are the ruins of the Roman baths in Badenweiler, one of the most important Roman sites in Baden-Württemberg.

In addition to these remarkable remnants of Roman times, there are many other fascinating sites along the route: the Altrhein nature reserve, the sculpture group dedicated to St. Anne in Rheinfelden, Rötteln Castle on the Lörrach heights, the historic vineyards around Binzen, the Isteiner Klotz Hill, the Balinea Spa in Bad Bellingen, the gardens around the Ettenbühl country house, the Entenstein water tower and much more.

Signage:The route is fully signposted: Some sections are marked "Markgräfler Römerweg” and others "Oberrhein Römer-Radweg".

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