Ottenhofen: Garden, Power Station and St. Catherine

Ottenhofen offers a variety of topics to consider when planning your trip: the Nature Display Garden, the power station on Schwillacher Straße and the parish church of St. Catherine.

Nature Display Garden on Meillerweg

The Nature Display Garden covers 2,000 m² and is home to 166 wild shrubs, including twelve wild roses. The grounds also include a wildflower meadow, a dry-stone wall, a pond, a wild bee house, and a pile of stones and branches. The garden thus brings together shrubs and meadowland with the pond and other features that add structure to the landscape. If you are interested in wild shrubs and the design of open spaces, the garden offers a clearly defined nature-focused attraction in Ottenhofen.

Technical History and Church Architecture

The power station at Schwillacher Straße 4/6 was first operated by F. X. Meiller in 1888 as an ironworks with a waterwheel. A turbine house with a Francis turbine, a transformer hut and a weir with a basin were added later. This sequence of structures traces the transition from the original waterwheel-powered operation to later technical additions, making the power station a distinctive way to explore local history.

The parish church of St. Catherine stands on elevated ground. Its nave is Romanesque in origin and was remodeled in the Baroque style around 1700. The church has its present onion dome and is decorated inside with stucco and paintings. Ottenhofen thus brings together the history of technical construction and several architectural periods. These themes can help you choose the focus of your stay: the development of a technical facility, sacred architecture, or nature and garden design.

Culture and Excursions in Erding

In the wider destination of Erding, the Erdinger Bauernhausmuseum offers a distinct focus on cultural history. It comprises 15 historic buildings relocated there from the Erding district and depicts rural farming and everyday life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum therefore focuses on rural ways of working and living—a different subject from the power station and church in Ottenhofen.

The Franz Xaver Stahl Museum in Erding also focuses on a historic home and workplace. The former residence and studio is furnished with historic furniture; the Biedermeier house dates from around 1840. The former studio has remained unchanged since Franz Xaver Stahl’s death. The museum has been open to the public since 2014. Check current visiting arrangements before your visit.

Guided tours of Erding give residents and tourists an insight into the history of the town and its buildings. A tour of the town tower takes you to one of the oldest buildings in the town. There are 163 steps to a height of 35 meters; the view stretches across Erding and the surrounding area to Munich, and in föhn conditions, as far as the Alpine panorama.

Routes, Market and Travel Planning

The hiking trails in Erding are between 5.9 and 15 kilometers long, with estimated walking times ranging from one and a half to five hours. The themed trails take around an hour and lead through the old town, the districts or in the footsteps of artists. When planning your day, allow between one and a half and five hours, depending on the hiking route, and around one hour for a themed walk. Conditions on individual routes may change.

One culinary stop in Erding is the farmers’ market on the grounds of the Erdinger Bauernhausmuseum. It is open on Fridays from 12:00 to 16:30; farmers from the Erding district offer regional and seasonal goods and food there. Check the market hours in advance, as they may change.

For the cycling tour described, the S-Bahn from Poing to Altenerding is listed for the outward journey, and the S-Bahn from Ottenhofen to Poing for the return journey. This information relates to the tour; it is not a current timetable. Check the connection for your travel date.

Discover more destinations: Inning Am Holz, Pastetten, Sankt Wolfgang, Wartenberg, Dorfen, Finsing, Bockhorn, Isen.

Return to the main travel guide: Erding.