Turenne's forces met Imperial (Holy Roman Empire) troops on 16 June 1674 on a piece of high ground just across the Elsenz stream near the town of Sinsheim.
It was finally decided to follow the Neckar valley to Neckargemünd, the Elsenz valley to Meckenheim and the Schwarzenbach valley to close to its source, before tunneling through the ridge and descending to the Neckar and crossing it to Mosbach.