From the edge of the southern Black Forest surrounded by vineyards with the beautiful region called the Markgraeflerland to the south, Staufen offers a breathtaking view of the Rhine Valley and the French Vosges mountains to the west. This jewel of the northern Markgraeflerland offers you a spectacular variety of attractions and cultural events.


Staufen is an idyllic, medieval town with a lot of historic buildings. The old cobbled streets Staufen invite visitors to explore the town. Many old buildings are colourful and have signs with explanations. All visitors find the Old Town very charming. In the shadow of the old castle the local shops, restaurants and guesthouses keep old traditions and offer a warm hospitality.


The town's landmark: the castle ruins
The castle dominating the region was build in the 12th century to protect the rich silver mines in the Muenster Valley. They were the main source of income for the Lords of Staufen.
The Lords of Staufen were mentioned in the early years of the 12 th century as stewards of the Dukes of Zaehringen.
In 1602 the family line of the Staufens ended. During the 30 Years War Swedish troops occupied Staufen, burning down the castle in 1632.
Despite the tremendous demolition by man and weather in the last 400 years the castle still gives you a clear image of what it looked like in the past.



The small lake in Staufen is a great place to relax.

 A view of the Staufen castle ruins is possible from almost any corner of the Old Town.


Dr. Johann Georg Faustus

One of the most famous citizens of Staufen was Johann Georg Faust, the legendary alchemist and magician, who lived in Staufen for some years in the 16th century. Goethe's work made him the epitome of man in search of ultimate wisdom.

It may be assumed that Count Anton of Staufen wanted Faustus to transmute lead into gold at a time, when the silver mine in the Muenster Valley one of his major sources of income started to dry out. In the year 1539 Faustus lost his life in a room at the Lions Inn in a quite spectacular way, presumably in a chemical explosion.

Today the visitor can read on the wall of the Lions Inn: “…that one of the higher devils, Mephistopheles, the one he called brother-in-law when he was still alive, broke his neck, after the pact had expired after 24 years, thus handing over his poor soul to never ending perdition.



Struve-Passage
On the 24 th of September 1848, government troops the defeated the reballs led by Gustav Struve. This battle marked the end of the German Revolution of 1848/49. A canonball embedded a wall still reminds us of that event.


The town of Staufen has been an official resort town since 1975. The town now has appr. 8.000 inhabitants together with the villages of Grunern and Wettelbrunn. The altitude is 288 meters above sea level.

Wettelbrunn
Grunern


Benefit from the KONUS-guestcard when spending your holidays in Staufen:

You can use all the buses and trains in the Black Forest for free!


Staufen panoramic views
  • market
  • Old Town
  • castle ruin
  • grape-vines
  • panoramic view over Staufen

-> Staufen panoramic views
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