The current municipality was formed by the merger of the former entities of Buchenbach and Falkensteig on 1 December 1971, with Wagensteig being joined to them on 1 August 1973 and Unteribental on 1 January 1975.

The municipality is located within the South Black Forest Natural Park, about 12 km as the crow flies east of Freiburg im Breisgau.

Clockwise from the north, Buchenbach borders on the municipalities of Sankt Peter, St. Märgen, Breitnau, Oberried, Kirchzarten and Stegen.

The settlements of Ober- und Unterbuchenbach were under different overlords, causing continual difficulties and disputes, so that there were numerous reorganizations of the municipality down to the 19th century.

The name of the valley itself comes from Wagenstadt ("cart town"), the form "Wagensteig" first appearing in the 12th century, in a judgement by Bishop Ulrich of Konstanz in a conflict between the church in Zarten and the monastery at St. Märgen over the rights to tithes in the district.

Above three hills vert (green), vertically divided; dexter (right) argent (white), with a beech tree vert (green) above the dexter hill, sinister (left) gules with a wavy fess argent (white) bordered sable (black).

On the western border of the municipality is the Himmelreich station on the Höllentalbahn, with a half-hourly service throughout the day to Freiburg im Breisgau and on into the Black Forest, alternately to Neustadt and Seebrugg on the Schluchsee.

In the west of Buchenbach, the Bundesstraße B31 (Breisach–Lindau trunk road), the most important link between Freiburg im Breisgau, the Black Forest and Lake Constance, runs through the village of Falkenstein.