Neustadt impresses with a variety of churches and chapels that are deeply rooted in the history of the region. The neo-Gothic Minster of St James, the largest church in the Upper Black Forest, stands out with its imposing architecture. Not far from it, a fountain with a statue of St Francis is a reminder of the Capuchin monastery from 1669, now the Klösterle restaurant.
The Protestant Christuskirche church fascinates with an artistic wooden mosaic behind the altar. In the idyllic Reichenbach Valley, old paths lead to historic farms and chapels, including the St Wendelin Court Chapel, which is the subject of a ghost story.
A high-level trail with views of Neustadt and the Feldberg mountain leads past the Kolping memorial stone to the Fullberg cross. The tour ends at the Stalterfriedhof cemetery with its cemetery chapel and allows history, architecture and nature to merge in a special way.
From the station forecourt, follow the “Neustadttour” (purple route). To the right of the station, there is an information board where you can get a quick overview. The trail first leads you through the town centre towards the Münster. At Point 11 (a yellow graffiti on a house wall), you leave the Neustadttour and turn right. There you can already see the first destination of our stage ahead of you: the Münster St. Jakobus. Proudly visible from afar, the Münster, built in Neo-Gothic style, stands tall. At 68 metres long and with a tower height of 68 metres, it is the largest church in the High Black Forest.
Exit the Münster through the main portal and turn right. After around 50 metres, turn left. You will already see a fountain ahead of you. The fountain, with its statue of St. Francis, commemorates the Capuchin Monastery founded in 1669. Today, the former monastery houses the restaurant "Klösterle", where you are welcome to take a break. Now follow the Neustadttour again until you reach Point 14 A “Old Cemetery”. You will pass the grave of Father Rinkenburger (the Münster’s builder; grave on the right-hand side), the “Gottesacker Chapel” consecrated in 1882 (unfortunately not open), and the war memorial (directly in front of the chapel). Exit the cemetery and turn right. There you’ll already see your next destination, the Protestant Christ Church. Particularly worth seeing is the large wooden mosaic behind the altar, made from a variety of woods from around the world.
Leave the Protestant church and keep left. At the junction with Goethestraße, turn left. After about 50 metres, follow the footpath to the Eisweiher pond. Walk left around the Eisweiher, past the playground on the left, and continue to Schillerstraße. There, turn left until you reach the pedestrian crossing. From there, follow the yellow diamond waymark in the direction of Reichenbach – Eisenbach. The trail leads you through the Reichenbach Valley, along a stream and past the water-treading spot. At the “Am Reichenbach” junction, turn left towards Eisenbach. The path takes you through a pasture, up the hill and through a small wood to the “Lickertsloch”. There, turn right towards “Reichenbach”. You will soon see your next destination as you emerge from the wood: the first farmsteads in the Reichenbach area. Reach the farms via the marked “Viehsteig” trail through the pasture, past the fire pond, and on to the tarmacked access road to the Josefenhof. Turn right, and at the next junction turn left for a short detour to the farm chapel of the “Theibisenhof”.
Leave the farm chapel and return a short distance to the junction, then follow the yellow diamond in the direction of the “youth hostel”. Before crossing the road to Eisenbach, your next destination lies on the right-hand side: the farm chapel of St. Wendelin at the Josefenhof.
It is believed that the location of the chapel was chosen due to an accident. There is a ghost story associated with it: “From this chapel, around midnight,” Jakob Fehrenbach, father of the Josefen farmer, told us, “a ghostly light used to wander back and forth all the way to the Neustadt boundary – a light guided by a man with a wheelbarrow. When the ground around the chapel was once dug up, human bones were found and laid to rest inside the chapel. Since then, the spirit has been 'at peace' and neither it nor the light has been seen again.” (Chronicle of Rudenberg)
Now cross the road and continue to follow the yellow diamond trail towards the youth hostel. A high-level path, offering beautiful views over Neustadt and towards the Feldberg, brings you to the “Kolping memorial stone”.
Continue along the path and pass a wayside cross before crossing the road near the youth hostel. Soon you will see the “Fullberg Cross” standing on the hill. Follow the field path, which turns right past the youth hostel, up to the cross, where you can enjoy a wide view over the town. Return along the same field path and continue following the yellow diamond. The trail takes you around the Fullberg and offers another lovely view of the part of Neustadt that wasn’t previously visible. On the left, a sign points towards the cemetery. The cemetery chapel of the new cemetery, also known as Stalterfriedhof, is your next destination. After this short detour to the cemetery, return via the same path to the high-level trail. Before reaching the first houses, you will see a “Marian way station” on your right.