Location and landscape
Schallbach is a municipality in the district of Lörrach in the southern Markgräfler Hill Country of Baden-Württemberg. The municipality lies in the gently undulating valley landscape of the Bamlach–Schallbach loess hills. The terrain ranges from about 328 to 382 metres above sea level and slopes down towards the Kandertal lowland.
Soils and land use
Schallbach lies entirely within the area of the Bamlach–Schallbach loess hills. On the higher-lying areas, shallow Pararendzinas formed from loess occur, while the valley soils are characterised by pseudogleys. Most of the municipal area is used for agriculture; on some steeper slopes, vines are planted.
Winegrowing
The Sonnhohle single-vineyard is a legally recognised single-vineyard within the Markgräflerland area of the Baden quality winegrowing region. Schallbach belongs to the municipalities that are authorised to use this designation.
History and development
No Celtic or Roman settlement finds are recorded in Schallbach. According to the local account, the place is therefore regarded as an Alemannic foundation; it is first documented in a damaged charter from the monastery of St. Blasien dating from the year 1240. Up until the 1970s, the population lived almost exclusively from agriculture. The subsequent residential development transformed Schallbach into a modern commuter community, although the rural character was largely preserved.
