Ötigheim: Open-Air Theatre and Tell Trail

Ötigheim combines its folk theatre with the Tell Trail, offering two different starting points for planning your trip: a large open-air theatre and a trail that brings Schiller’s “William Tell” to life even outside the performance season. The theatre has 4,000 covered seats. The Tell Trail passes through orchards, forests and wetlands. You can plan your stay around a performance, the trail or both experiences.

Folk Theatre: History and Stage

The Ötigheim Folk Theatre runs Germany’s largest open-air theatre. Its history began in 1906, when a gravel pit near the village was converted into a stage with the help of volunteers. Schiller’s “William Tell” brought the open-air theatre its major breakthrough in 1910. The play has been performed on Ötigheim’s open-air stage since 1910 and is also the point of reference for the Tell Trail. In the wider destination of Rastatt, the town museum features permanent exhibitions on Rastatt’s history over the past 300 years, as well as on prehistory and early history. It is housed in a Baroque town palace opposite the Residential Palace.

Depending on the play, up to 600 people of all ages take part on and behind the stage. The number of participants therefore depends on the production. Tickets for all events are available online through Reservix, at the box office at Kirchstraße 5 in Ötigheim, or by phone. As booking arrangements may change, check the ticket options before making specific plans.

The Tell Trail: Nature and Cultural Connections

The 4.8-kilometre Tell Trail starts at the Folk Theatre car park on Tellplatzweg in 76470 Ötigheim. It brings Schiller’s “William Tell” to life even outside the performance season. Along the way, visitors can listen, search and play. The route passes through orchards, forests and wetlands, as well as along gravel paths, natural trails and paved sections. The trail thus connects the play with a variety of landscapes and path surfaces.

Signposted detours suitable for strollers are available for a few sections. If you are travelling with a stroller, bear in mind when planning that these detours are provided for only a few sections.

Getting There and Finding Your Way Around

Ötigheim station is served by KVV light rail lines S 7 and S 8. From there, the route to the open-air theatre is signposted and takes about 15 minutes on foot. Check the current timetable before travelling.

Ötigheim’s cycling and hiking trails also offer a way to explore the region actively; they are very well developed and maintained. If you choose the Tell Trail, its starting point and length are clearly defined, but the time needed to walk it is not specified. The contrasting experiences can help you decide between a theatre visit and the trail: the performance brings Schiller’s play to the stage, while the Tell Trail connects it with a route through the landscapes described above.

Discover more destinations: Forbach, Weisenbach, Kuppenheim, Sinzheim, Iffezheim, Moos, Gaggenau, Durmersheim.

Back to the wider travel overview: Rastatt.