Myths and legends of magic waters have been told throughout the ages, from the Greeks to the fountain of youth. For the people of Sulzberg, the black waters of their local moor have their own special magic: For it is here that local children learned to swim and generations of local teenagers spent their summers, many experiencing their first kiss under the bright starry sky. For decades, the Oberköhler moor has been a place of retreat for those who are too old for the playground and yet too young for the pub. Unlike other natural moor baths, there were never any big plans in Sulzberg to further develop the natural pond, whose water is fed by an upland moor, either for tourism or perhaps a private hotel complex.
Instead, memories of carefree afternoons at the water’s edge and dreamy summer nights connect generations of children, parents and grandparents. For example, Karin Dorner and her son David: “Of course I learned to swim at the Oberköhler moor. At that time there was no easily accessible outdoor pool. As kids, the Weissach river in the valley was way too far away,” recalls Karin, who was born in 1951. Her son David, born in 1976, adds: “In my youth, all the boys met up at the moor in the evening. Summers were spent around the campfire and we even partied here after graduation. Here at the lake, we were never far from home and yet we had space to ourselves.” The small lake is also a meeting place for Sulzberg’s three local clans: those from south Sulzberg, those from north Sulzberg and the “townies.” Yes, such small regional distinctions between those that live in the sunnier and shadier parts of town do indeed exist, as both Karin and David can attest.