Allerheiligen waterfalls and the monastery ruin from Oppenau-Allerheiligen

The walk starts at the car park by the Klosterruine Allerheiligen, in the Nationalpark Schwarzwald above Oppenau. It passes the ruined monastery and follows a broad forest track down to the top of the falls, where a path of rock steps, handrails and wooden bridges drops beside the seven cascades of the Grindenbach. At the foot of the gorge it crosses the Lierbachstraße (K 5370), climbs by a forest path and the Rossgrundweg track to the Sagenrundweg, and follows that to the Engelskanzel, a viewpoint above the gorge. A broad track then leads back up to the monastery.

It is 4.2 km with 122 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy by walking time, but the falls path is steep stone steps: the map data counts more than 200 of them, and this way round you come down them rather than climb them.

The steps are slippery after rain, and the national park closes the path along the falls in hoar frost, snow and ice. Keep to the marked paths, keep dogs on a lead, and do not light fires: those are the park's rules. In May 2026 a path failure partly closed the gorge; the town of Oppenau's bulletin of 15 May 2026 says the national park has repaired the damage and the Sagenrundweg can be walked as a whole again. Paths in the park can close at short notice, so look at the park's closures page before you set out.

The car park by the ruin is mapped as free to use in OpenStreetMap, and the tourist board's tour page speaks of enough free car parks. The national park lists a bus stop called Allerheiligen for the walk, and sends walkers to efa-bw.de for timetables.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.