Waldshut was founded by the Habsburgs in 1249. The town’s landmark is the Obere Tor (upper gate), also called the Schaffhauser Tor. The Kaiserstrasse runs through the middle of the old town from one 13th century town gate to the other, bordered by beautifully restored 16th to 18th century bourgeois houses with characteristic protruding wooden gables.

Buildings of interest in neighbouring Tiengen include the Margravian castle, remains of the old town wall with the Storchenturm tower and St. Marien Church with its magnificent baroque altars.

Tiengen was captured by the Swiss Confederates during the 1468 Waldshut War and Waldshut was besieged. Legend has it that the citizens of Waldshut, having fattened their last ram after weeks of besiegement, led it around the confines of the town wall to display to the Swiss that they were not about to starve. This is said to have caused the Swiss to break off the siege, an event that is celebrated each year in August at the Waldshuter Chilbi festival by revellers from both sides of the border. Most of the Waldshut district lies within the Naturpark Südschwarzwald (southern Black Forest nature park). The charm of this rambling, cultural and rural landscape is the diversity of its topography: the Hochrheintal with its historically interesting small towns, the pretty Klettgau with its emphasis on viniculture, the southern section of the Black Forest with buildings and monuments of cultural and historical significance and famous resorts and last but not least the rugged and romantic gorges and views to the south from the Hotzenwald. Enjoy nature on signposted hiking trails of over 1000 km and cycling routes of over 800 km. In winter, 300 km of cross-country ski runs and over 30 skilifts await lovers of snow sports.