To the Neuenfels Ruin near Buggingen

We start our tour at the car park before the village of Muggardt at a triangle of paths under an old lime tree. From there we follow a farm track, the Obermattenweg, straight uphill. From this path we soon turn right onto a small path, the „Bettlerpfad“, and follow the yellow dot marking/the black „X“ in the direction of Badenweiler/Schwärze. After a small dip and a small counter-ascent along the edge of the forest, we hike into the forest. But before that, it is worth taking a look back, as the beautiful panorama of the foothill zone is on offer. At the end of the „Bachmattweg“, which we are now walking along, we turn right onto a wide forest path and follow the geological nature trail (1), which is marked with informative signs. At the end we reach a small hill, the so-called „Schwärze“ (2). From there we have another opportunity to enjoy the view. Now we walk back a few steps on the forest path we came from until we reach a path marked with a „Z“ and „N“, which first leads along a stream up to the Neuenfels ruin. After a cut in the terrain, the path joins a wide forest path, the Neuenfelser Weg. Follow this and orientate yourself to the left by the markings „B2“/orange. Uphill, a branching path soon leads us to the ruin. After about an hour we reach Neuenfels Castle (3), built around 1250, which was the seat of the knightly dynasty of the same name until the 16th century. Thanks to extensive renovation work, the castle has been accessible again since 1995. From the high castle walls there is a magnificent view of the Markgrindel region with the Kastellberg and the tranquil wine villages of Ballrechten, St. Illgen and Betberg. On clear days, the view reaches as far as the Münsterberg of Breisach and further into Alsace. A panorama board helps us to find our way. After the detour to the castle, we return to the path and continue towards Sulzburg. Soon we meet a wide forest path where we turn right. We follow this path along the slope through a few bends. This path later joins a forest path where we continue to the right. We hike downhill to the edge of the forest. There, the far-reaching Bäume and the beautiful view invite you to take a break. We then continue – without marking - into the vineyards, where we meet the Markgräfler „Wii-Wegli“ (4) below, the course of which runs through Muggardt and the surrounding vineyards. We follow the markings with the red rhombus and the yellow grape on the left. The Rückweg to Muggardt leads us through idyllic vineyards. The sun-drenched Muggardter Südhang is known for its exquisite wines. The course of the path is clear, the „Wii-Wegli“ finally leads sharply to the left, through a small forest, uphill into the next vineyard. We pass an old vineyard dating from 1766, hike around a mountain ridge, pass through the tranquil village of Muggardt and finally return to our starting point. We also recommend a visit to one of the numerous small village festivals that take place from spring to late summer. Particularly worthy of mention is the Muggardter „Harzchabbe Fescht“.