Müllheim im Markgräflerland sits in the sunny foothills between the Rhine and the southern Black Forest, midway along the cultural and transport corridor linking Freiburg, Basel and Mulhouse. The municipality had 20,241 residents on 30 September 2026, according to the official statistical register, across an area of about 57.9 square kilometres. The urban centre is joined by seven districts—Britzingen, Dattingen, Feldberg, Hügelheim, Niederweiler, Vögisheim and Zunzingen—many of them still recognizable as wine-growing villages on the slopes. Müllheim is therefore both a practical regional service town and a useful base for exploring a rural wine landscape.

The written record reaches back to 27 October 758. In a charter, Strachfried gave property in the settlement, including vineyards, to the monastery of St Gall; the document refers to a place called villa Mulinhaimo. Archaeological finds around the Martinskirche point to earlier Roman and Alemannic activity, and excavations uncovered parts of a Roman villa. That evidence shows that people lived here before the first charter, but it does not support a simple claim that the modern town was founded by Rome. Two older settlements, Ober- and Untermüllen, gradually grew together. Müllheim received weekly-market rights in 1698, became the administrative seat for the Badenweiler lordship in 1727 and gained town rights in 1810. The wine market, held since 1872, connects this civic history with the region’s defining agricultural economy.

Begin in the centre around the market square and the early nineteenth-century Blankenhorn Palace. The Markgräfler Museum uses the palace to tell stories of the region, art, literature, archaeology, local history and wine culture. A short walk reaches the Frick Mill on the Klemmbach, where a preserved mill and working demonstrations make the town’s water-powered past tangible. Müllheim once had several mills serving farmers from both sides of the Rhine; the museum’s mill site gives that story a concrete setting. Nearby streets, the Martinskirche and civic buildings reward an unhurried walk, while cafés, shops and a weekly market make the centre useful for everyday errands as well as sightseeing.

Wine remains more than a backdrop: the municipality identifies Müllheim as a centre of the Markgräfler wine region, with vineyards spread through the town and surrounding villages. Gutedel, known in France as Chasselas, is closely associated with this area, and the annual wine market brings local producers into town. The wider economy is more varied. The city describes itself as a regional employment and service centre, with thousands of social-insurance jobs, schools, medical provision, administration, trade and industry. Since 2003 it has also held state-recognized health-resort status. Visitors can use Müllheim as a base for walks through vineyards and foothills, then make short excursions to Badenweiler’s Roman remains and thermal baths, the Rhine plain, or neighbouring Alsace and Basel.

Müllheim is on the rail corridor between Freiburg and Basel, with regional trains connecting it to both cities; check the current bwegt or rail timetable for the exact service and any work on the line. By road, the A5 exit for Neuenburg/Müllheim leads to the town via the B378, while the B3 also runs through the region. A compact visit can combine the market square, Markgräfler Museum and Frick Mill; a longer stay can add a vineyard walk or one of the wine villages. Museum opening hours, guided tours, winery visits and seasonal transport should be confirmed before setting out.

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