Discover Oberkirch
Accommodation in Oberkirch
There are several ways to plan a trip to Oberkirch: trails with information boards, town and architectural history, views, wine, and opportunities to play and relax in the town garden. Route length and layout help you find your bearings. At Schauenburg Castle and the Geigerskopf Tower, the viewpoint and direction of the view are each specified.
Trails with different routes
The Oberkirch Mühlbach Trail is 6.2 kilometres long. It follows the former mill channel downstream and returns to the starting point via the Rench embankment. Information boards offer additional insights. The Oberkirch Legends Trail, by contrast, is an approximately 9-kilometre circular route around Eselskopf, the Gaisbach district and the village of Wolfhag; it has a total of eight information boards. This means you can choose between a shorter route that returns to its starting point and a longer circular trail. Their thematic points of reference also differ: the Mühlbach Trail focuses on the former mill channel, while the Legends Trail takes in the areas named above and Eselskopf.
Town history and architectural design
The Local History and Grimmelshausen Museum presents town history, traditional crafts, agriculture, industry and customs from the Rench Valley. Its themes connect the town’s history with different aspects of economic and working life, as well as regional customs. The focus here is therefore on a broad range of topics, not just a single building or historical period.
A specific historical landmark is St. George’s Chapel in Gaisbach, a district of Oberkirch: Hannibal von Schauenburg founded it in 1623. Unlike the museum’s range of themes, the chapel is associated with a particular founder and year.
The Oberkirch Architecture Trail offers another focus on architectural design. It includes six buildings in Oberkirch that meet the selection committee’s strict criteria for architectural and design quality. While the museum brings together different topics from town history and everyday life, the Architecture Trail focuses on the quality of the selected buildings. These offer two distinct cultural perspectives on Oberkirch.
Schauenburg Castle and viewpoints
The ruins of Schauenburg Castle are a landmark above Oberkirch’s Gaisbach district, perched on a 397-metre-high rocky outcrop. The castle was built between 1070 and 1090 and expanded between 1240 and 1275 into a shield-wall castle with several residential towers. The dates mark two phases of construction: the castle’s original construction and its later expansion.
Each view is also linked to a specific location. From the castle tavern beside Schauenburg Castle, you can look out over Oberkirch and the Rhine Plain as far as Strasbourg. The Geigerskopf Tower is 20 metres high and stands on Geigerskopf; from there, the view extends across the Rhine Plain and, in good weather, as far as the Vosges. The distant views mentioned therefore differ both in location and in conditions: the weather affects whether you can see as far as the Vosges.
Town garden and wine tastings
Oberkirch Town Garden is a green oasis right in the town centre. Its amenities include benches, a duck pond and a large playground. Families can play mini golf and boccia there and then relax in the beer garden. Compared with the trails and historic buildings, the focus here is on opportunities to play and take a break in town.
Public wine tastings with a cellar tour are offered at Oberkircher Winzer eG. As the published schedule is subject to change, please check the dates before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Ringsheim, Wolfach, Bad Peterstal-Griesbach, Fischerbach, Neuried, Ortenberg, Friesenheim, Kippenheim.
Go to the broader travel overview: Ortenau District.
