Laufenburg is easiest to understand from the middle of the Rhine. Stand on the old bridge and one bank is Germany, the other Switzerland; the rooflines face each other across the water as if a single town had simply opened a river street. In political terms they are separate municipalities: this guide is about Laufenburg (Baden), Germany, whose population was 9,518 in September 2025, not the sister town of Laufenburg in the Swiss canton of Aargau. The German municipality also extends beyond its compact riverside centre into eight incorporated districts, rising from the Rhine valley toward the Hotzenwald. That mix of border history, industrial change and everyday village life gives the place more depth than a postcard view. The city’s structural data define the population and municipal area; the official visitor page introduces the idea of “two countries, one town.”
A gorge, a bridge and a town divided by politics
The Rhine is not a quiet backdrop here. At the narrow passage between the Black Forest and the Table Jura, the river cuts through a ridge of red gneiss. Local historical accounts connect the name Laufenburg with the rapids known as the “Louffen,” or running waters. The crossing mattered because boats, goods and people had to negotiate this constriction. The settlement is documented in 1173; in 1207 a charter records the fortified town and its Rhine bridge. The Habsburg counts developed the strategic site, and the bridge linked its two banks for centuries. These dates document a medieval river town; they do not support a claim that Laufenburg was founded by Romans, Greeks or Phoenicians. The municipality’s historical account sets out the early records and the political sequence.
The decisive break came in 1801, when the Lunéville settlement under Napoleon’s influence divided the old town. The right bank became Baden and is now in Germany; the left bank went to the Swiss canton of Aargau. The division was imposed on a community whose market, church life and bridge had long crossed the river. The German municipality was initially called Kleinlaufenburg and adopted the name Laufenburg (Baden) on 1 November 1930. The modern border is real, but the historic fabric still reads across it: a walk through the paired old towns is a short lesson in how a treaty can split a place without erasing its shared geography.
Cross the Rhine on foot
The Laufenbrücke is the natural centrepiece of a visit. A crossing was recorded here as early as 1207, though earlier bridges were wooden. The present bridge was built from 1908 to 1914 as part of the hydroelectric development and designed by Swiss engineer Robert Maillart, whose early modern concrete work gives the structure an elegance quite different from the old lanes around it. The bridge carried cross-border road traffic until the Hochrheinbrücke opened about a kilometre upstream in 2004. Today the Laufenbrücke is reserved for people on foot and bicycles. Pause above the water, then explore both banks: the Swiss old town climbs toward the castle hill, while the German side offers riverfront streets and viewpoints. The city’s account of the bridge and historic centres explains how transport, power generation and the townscape changed together.
On the Swiss side, the castle ruins and Schlossberg overlook the river. The castle is documented in 1207 and was the seat of the Counts of Habsburg-Laufenburg. It was badly damaged during the Thirty Years’ War; later, much of the masonry was reused, while the surviving keep and restored public grounds became a place to look back at both old towns. Across the water on the German side, the Schlössle began as a summer residence and was reshaped in the late nineteenth century by the American Codman family. The municipality credits Mary Codman with cultural and social initiatives, including the town’s first kindergarten. Today the building houses hospitality and cultural spaces. For another broad view, the city recommends the Hans-Thoma viewpoint near the Protestant church and the platform beside the Schlössle. Check access and opening arrangements before building a visit around an interior.
Eight districts, from river valley to upland
Laufenburg (Baden) is not just the old centre. Its municipal area covers 2,357 hectares and ranges from about 300 to 750 metres above sea level. Binzgen, Grunholz, Hauenstein, Hochsal, Luttingen, Rhina, Rotzel and Stadenhausen entered the municipality at different times, bringing distinct histories and landscapes. Some sit close to the Rhine; others look toward the Hotzenwald. Luttingen is recorded in the Lorsch Codex in 788. Rotzel, at the high end of the municipality, gives the town a markedly upland character. In Stadenhausen, the city points to a favourable microclimate for fruit growing. The municipal district histories make these differences visible and are useful for planning a drive or cycle beyond the waterfront.
Rhina provides a precise example of why local history should be told carefully. The city identifies the remains of a Roman villa at Obere Sitt in that district, occupied from about 80 to 260 CE. It is a significant archaeological trace in the wider municipality, but it does not make the medieval town itself a Roman foundation. Hauenstein offers another useful correction: it received urban privileges in 1317 and was once promoted as Germany’s smallest town, yet the municipality explains that it never had the wall and independent judicial district of a town in the full sense. These details enrich a visit because they replace broad origin myths with the layered, sometimes untidy history recorded on the ground.
Work, trade and a changing river economy
For generations the rapids made the Rhine both a resource and an obstacle. Fishing, salmon, shipping and rafting shaped work along the river; boatmen known as Laufenknechte guided vessels through dangerous waters. The power station built at the beginning of the twentieth century transformed the river crossing and the town’s economy. Railways arrived in 1853–56, and manufacturing expanded as older river trades declined. The municipality now describes a broad base of small and medium-sized businesses, with manufacturing in mechanical engineering, plastics and rubber, chemicals, textiles and wood processing, alongside retail, health care, business services and hospitality. It names H.C. Starck, Schluchseewerk and the Rüde Group among larger local employers. Municipal data count 2,865 socially insured jobs in 2024; that is a workplace statistic, not the number of residents. The city’s economic overview also describes the Laufenpark retail and service centre, whose border location serves local residents and cross-border shoppers.
Walk, cycle or take time by the water
The signature outing is the Laufenburger ACHT, a family-oriented cross-border walking trail that loops between the German and Swiss towns. The current visitor page describes it as roughly 6.6 kilometres, with three Rhine crossings and learning stations about local history, geology, nature and wildlife. Sections include natural tracks, steps and hanging bridges; the route is not for bicycles and is not fully step-free. One German approach to the Laufenbrücke has a steep stairway, with an alternative through the old town and Andelsbachstraße. Works or restrictions can affect individual crossings, so check current notices and take water and snacks. The trail’s shape makes its point: you can cross an international border repeatedly while remaining within the historic twin settlement. The official route page gives its length, conditions and family information.
For a gentler outing, the riverbank paths are comparatively level, while routes into the Hotzenwald gain height and open toward the Black Forest. Cycling visitors can join the Rhine route and the 264-kilometre Southern Black Forest cycle route; local tourism also maps shorter circuits and a 217-kilometre Three Parks tour through the Southern Black Forest Nature Park, Jurapark Aargau and the Schaffhausen regional nature park. The Laufenburger ACHT itself is a walking trail, so cyclists should use the designated cycle routes. E-bike rental, charging and repair are available in town according to the visitor service. In summer, the German Gartenstrandbad offers heated pools, a wave slide, diving boards, a children’s pool, lawns and a kiosk. It is seasonal; hours and weather-related operation should be checked with the municipal pool page.
Small museums and local traditions
Culture in Laufenburg often rewards a little advance planning. On the German side, the Heimatmuseum Mariagrün occupies a former mill and serves as the guild room of the Narro-Altfischerzunft, a carnival guild with roots in a medieval occupational association. Its collection includes historic masks and costumes, among them a wooden mask the guild describes as the oldest in southern Germany. Visits and guided tours are by arrangement rather than ordinary walk-in hours. Across the Rhine, the Rehmann Museum focuses on three-dimensional contemporary art and the work of sculptor Erwin Rehmann; the Sprachpanorama explores dialect, world languages, German-language history and reading. The Swiss Museum Schiff is currently closed for renovation, with reopening expected in spring 2027; selected retrospective displays are being shown at other locations in the area. The tourism museum guide carries the current status.
The annual calendar keeps the paired towns in motion: the municipality lists carnival at winter’s end, spring Salm weeks, the slowUp event on the third weekend of June, the “Fließende Grenzen” cultural days in early August, a cultural night in September, an apple market and Habsburg weeks in October, and a Christmas market in December. Dates and formats can shift, so treat these as recurring themes and consult the current calendar. Two tourist information offices—one in each country—provide maps, tours and practical advice. A city bus connects the German districts, while Laufenpark, restaurants, accommodation and the riverfront make a longer stay manageable. The town also lists a small motorhome area near Andelsbach and the old town; check capacity and services before relying on it.
Getting there and shaping a visit
Rail access depends on which Laufenburg you intend to reach. The German municipality lists two stops: Laufenburg (Baden) and Laufenburg (Baden)-Ost, with regional trains at both and an Interregio-Express stop at the eastern station on the Basel Badischer Bahnhof–Schaffhausen–Singen route. On the Swiss bank, Laufenburg’s SBB station has an hourly service to Basel SBB according to the municipality. From either railway side, the paired historic centres connect by footbridge. By road, the city identifies the A98 and L151a on the German side and the Swiss N3/Eiken approach; the high Rhine bridge carries motor traffic. A city bus serves the German districts. Check the exact station, live timetable, engineering notices and cross-border ticket conditions for your travel date through Deutsche Bahn or SBB, as advertised routes and connections can change.
A rewarding first day can stay close to the water: walk the German old town, cross the Laufenbrücke, climb the Swiss castle hill, then return for the Schlössle and a river-view pause. A second day can follow the Laufenburger ACHT or take a separate cycling route toward the uplands; reserve time for Rhina, Luttingen or Rotzel if the municipality’s wider landscape interests you. Add a museum only after checking its appointment requirements and current status. Laufenburg’s value is not a single monument but the way its bridge, power station, old streets and outlying districts tell different chapters of one Rhine community—now lived in two countries.