Ottenbach offers numerous hiking and cycling trails in the municipality and its surroundings. For a day of hiking, you can choose from routes with different themes and time requirements: the St. Sebastian Trail is 5.6 kilometers long and takes about 1.5 hours. Allow around 2.5 to 3.5 hours for the Franciscan Trail, depending on how long you spend at the stations. The Cyriakus Trail covers 9.7 kilometers.

Hiking Trails with Their Own Character

Routes in the Faith Trails network are also worth exploring on foot. The Franciscan Trail in Ottenbach offers a distinctive thematic experience: this circular route has ten stations and leads from Ottenbach to the Rehgebirge hills and back via Kitzen to St. Sebastian’s Church. Artworks and landscape features take up the theme of the Canticle of the Sun. Newly created artworks include pieces made from materials such as metal, stone, plastic and wood.

Along the way, the Franciscan Trail offers views of Hohenstaufen and Rechberg. On a clear day, the view stretches across the Alb escarpment as far as Teck Castle. The elevation gain is 150 meters. Burgundy-colored signs mark the trail; parking is available at the church. The route is only partly suitable for strollers: a steep climb on a dirt track begins after Kitzhölzle.

The Cyriakus Trail starts at the parking lot by the community hall at Im Buchs in Ottenbach. Its 9.7 kilometers lead through gentle hills and wide pastures in the Ottenbach Valley. Along the way are the Lourdes Chapel at Saurenhof and the grotto near Kitzen. This gives the route a different emphasis from the Franciscan Trail: the chapel, grotto and open pastures shape the walk, while the Franciscan Trail focuses on its ten stations and their artistic interpretation.

The St. Sebastian Trail combines a shorter distance with an estimated walking time of 1.5 hours. There are several places to sit along the 5.6-kilometer route; the Eichholz forest playground is also a place to take a break. You won’t have to tackle any steep climbs. The trail also offers views across the eastern side of the Ottenbach Valley. This makes it easy to compare the shorter walk with the longer loops without planning the same kind of hiking day.

Valley, Cycling Routes and Getting There

The Ottenbach Valley is well suited to a wide range of outdoor activities. The landscape of the wider valley includes 45 individual farmsteads. If you’d rather focus your stay on cycling, or combine hiking and cycling on different days, there are also cycling routes in Ottenbach and the surrounding area. The hiking trails, by contrast, differ in length, walking time and theme: from a circular route with art stations to a trail with chapels and a grotto, and a shorter route with places to sit and scenic views.

Ottenbach can be reached by bus from Göppingen via Eislingen and Salach. Check the current timetable before setting off. The trails have different starting points: the Cyriakus Trail begins at the parking lot by the community hall, while parking for the Franciscan Trail is available at the church. When planning your days, use the desired route length and the time you want to spend visiting the stations as a guide for each hiking day.

Discover more destinations: Süßen, Dürnau, Böhmenkirch, Heiningen, Hattenhofen, Salach, Göppingen, Eislingen/Fils

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