Rinkenkopf

The Rinkenkopf is a wooded mountain ridge rising to 760 metres in the Northern Black Forest, near Baiersbronn. It sits between the Murg and Tonbach valleys, with a deep saddle called the Sattelei separating it from the Grindenschwarzwald foothills. Three structures stand on its summit: the remains of a circular rampart, an observation tower, and two transmission towers. Several long-distance paths, including the Murgleiter and the Genießerpfad, lead hikers to the Sattelei Hut on the mountain’s edge. The mountain’s name appears in a 12th-century Reichenbach Abbey record as ‘in monte qui Rincga vocatur’, suggesting the rampart was already ancient by then. The rampart stretches 115 metres long and up to 40 metres wide, though its builders and purpose remain unknown. In 1914 the Württemberg Black Forest Club built the 16-metre-high King William Tower, later renamed Rinken Tower, as an observation point. The tower has also served at times as a transmission mast and is now owned by Baiersbronn municipality. Visitors reach the summit along well-marked trails that wind through dense forest and open ridge sections. The Sattelei Hut offers rest and views over the valleys below, while the rampart’s grassy banks reveal earthworks from centuries past. The Rinken Tower stands at the ridge’s southeastern end, providing panoramic views of the Black Forest’s rolling landscape. Transmission towers dot the skyline, blending modern use with the mountain’s historic character. The contrast between ancient earthworks and recent structures gives the summit a layered sense of time.