Ottenbach

Ottenbach and its surroundings offer numerous hiking and cycling trails, including routes from the Glaubenswege network. The trails focus on different themes: the Franziskusweg (St. Francis Trail) focuses on art and landscape, the Cyriakusweg (St. Cyriacus Trail) passes religious sites, and the St. Sebastians-Weg (St. Sebastian Trail) can be assessed by its approximate walking time. If you are planning a stay in Ottenbach, you can compare the tours by theme, distance, and the time available.

The Ottenbach Valley is ideal for many outdoor activities. The wider valley landscape is home to 45 individual farmsteads. The trails offer different ways to incorporate the landscape and individual cultural stops into your plans.

Hiking between art and landscape

The Franziskusweg Ottenbach is a circular hike with ten stations. Artworks and landscape features take up the Canticle of the Sun, making its interpretation a theme of the trail. The newly created art objects include works made of metal, stone, plastics, and wood. If you are interested in outdoor art, the stations and their design are as much a part of the trail’s character as the hike itself.

The route leads from Ottenbach to the Rehgebirge hills and back via Kitzen to St. Sebastian’s Church. It offers views of Hohenstaufen and Rechberg; in clear weather, visibility extends towards the Albtrauf as far as Teck Castle. The trail has an elevation difference of 150 metres and is marked with burgundy-red signs. Parking for the Franziskusweg is available at the church.

The Franziskusweg is only partly suitable for pushchairs: a steep ascent on a field track begins beyond Kitzhölzle, so the route is suitable for pushchairs only in part. You should take this specific trail condition into account when planning.

Compare walking times and distances

The St. Sebastians-Weg is 5.6 kilometres long and has no steep ascents. Several benches provide places to rest, and the route also offers views across the eastern side of the Ottenbach Valley. The Eichholz forest playground is included as a rest stop along the trail.

Approximate walking times can also be compared: around 1.5 hours are given for the St. Sebastians-Weg, and around 2.5 to 3.5 hours for the Franziskusweg. The time needed for the Franziskusweg depends on how long you spend at the stations. This lets you take the different time frames into account when planning your day without losing sight of the trails’ distinct focuses.

At 9.7 kilometres, the Cyriakusweg is longer than the 5.6-kilometre St. Sebastians-Weg. It leads through gentle hills and wide pastures in the Ottenbach Valley, passing the Lourdes Chapel at Saurenhof and the grotto in Kitzen. This trail thus connects the landscape with two named religious sites.

Starting points and getting there

The Cyriakusweg starts at the car park by the community hall in Im Buchs, Ottenbach. Parking for the Franziskusweg is available at the church. Ottenbach can be reached by bus from Göppingen via Eislingen and Salach. If you are travelling by bus, check the current timetable before setting off.

For comparing routes by distance and time, the St. Sebastians-Weg and the Cyriakusweg offer specific reference points. The Franziskusweg stands out for its ten stations, artworks, and walking time, which depends on how long you spend at them. This makes it possible to choose a tour that suits your interests and planned time frame.

Discover more destinations: Bad Überkingen, Uhingen, Bad Boll, Geislingen an der Steige, Wiesensteig, Böhmenkirch, Donzdorf, Süßen

Go to the main travel overview: Göppingen.