Endingen am Kaiserstuhl

Welcome to Endingen am Kaiserstuhl

There is probably no other town on the Kaiserstuhl that is as diverse as Endingen. Those who live here or visit our town will experience a lively, historic town center and three picturesque winegrowing villages in the midst of a wonderful landscape. In the south, the vineyards of the Kaiserstuhl border directly on Endingen, while in the north, countless fruit trees form the transition to the Rhine plain.

The town on the Kaiserstuhl, which has a population of around 10,500, has a lot to offer: Buildings worth seeing such as the 400-year-old Kornhaus with the Kornhalle, which is now home to the town council, the historic town hall, the Königschaffhauser Tor, affectionately known as the "Torli", the Üsenberger Hof and the imposing town churches are just some of the buildings in Endingen, which was shaped for centuries by the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We will take you on a tour of the town and show you the sights and insider tips in our "Städtli".

Historical facts

The town of Endingen dates back to two Alemannic settlements located close to each other, which are thought to have been near the two churches of St. Peter and St. Martin. The lower settlement was mentioned in a Carolingian deed of donation in 862; this property later went to Andlau Monastery in Alsace. The upper settlement was first mentioned in an Ottonian donation to Einsiedeln Abbey in 969. Through their position as monastery bailiffs, the Üsenbergs became the local rulers. In 1285/86, they raised Endingen to the status of a town.

Until then, the town had presumably been surrounded by a wooden palisade, but now a stone town wall was built. In 1317, the "thor gegen Schafhusen" (today called Königschaffhauser Tor or "Torli") was built, in 1318 a market, in 1319 the wall, and in 1458 the moat for the first time. In 1379, the male line of the Üsenberg family died out and Endingen subsequently came under Habsburg rule. The town's coat of arms combines the Üsenberg wing with the Habsburg shield.

In 1806, the town became part of the Grand Duchy of Baden. In 1842/43, Alexander Benitz from Endingen led a group of almost 400 emigrants to Venezuela, where they founded the Colonia Tovar, which still exists today. Until the middle of the 20th century, Endingen was a small country town that lived mainly from agriculture and viticulture.

In the 1960s, the Niederdorf development area north of the railroad line was built on. In the 1970s, the wine-growing villages of Amoltern, Kiechlinsbergen and Königschaffhausen were incorporated and have since become part of the wine-growing town of Endingen am Kaiserstuhl. Viticulture still plays a major role today and is one of the largest wine-growing communities in Baden-Württemberg.

Before the installation of water pipes for households in 1869, Endingen was often referred to as "the town that has more wine than water some years". The precious fountains, of which there are many in the old town, became places of living tradition. You will learn more about these fountains on the tour.

Endingen town tour

Stops: 17
Length: approx. 2 km
Duration: approx. 1 hour

Public WCs

Market square 6a | Sankt Jakobsgäßli 13