Göggingen offers two distinct cultural points of interest: the castle chapel in Horn and the municipality’s Livestock Festival. Built in 1758 in the Baroque style, the chapel stands outside the castle walls; the Livestock Festival has been celebrated for over 300 years and continues to this day. Together, the building’s history and the living tradition give the town a clearly recognizable cultural and historical character.
Castle Chapel in Horn
Its location outside the castle walls is part of the building’s history, along with the year 1758 and its Baroque style. The interior features art treasures, stuccowork, frescoes, stone Rococo figures, and an image of the Madonna on the altar. Those interested in architecture and art will find both a historically significant building and an interior described as rich in detail.
A Long-Standing Local Tradition
The Livestock Festival adds another perspective on the town’s history alongside its architectural heritage. The municipality has celebrated it for more than three centuries, and the tradition continues today. Göggingen thus brings together a specific historic building and an enduring local tradition. This gives the town a cultural appeal that extends beyond looking at individual architectural details.
Planning Your Visit
Town maps and the Green Path cycling map are available free of charge at the town hall. Check current availability in advance. For a broader look at the Ostalb district, the cycling map shows a variety of routes in the Leintal valley and on the Frickenhofer Höhe, as well as the local sights. It complements the town map with a regional overview of routes and places to visit.
There are three “grüner pfad – adventure tours” in the Ostalb district: “In the Ellwangen Lake District,” “Around the Leintal Valley and Frickenhofer Höhe,” and “Härtsfeld.” The “Around the Leintal Valley and Frickenhofer Höhe” tour is one of the named adventure tours in the wider travel region.
Culture and Landscape in the Ostalb District
Another regional highlight is the Upper German-Raetian Limes. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005; within the municipality of Rainau, it runs for around six kilometres through the districts of Buch, Schwabsberg, and Dalkingen. The Rainau Limes Park preserves the finest stretches and most significant individual monuments of the Limes in a uniquely concentrated area. A reconstructed watchtower offers panoramic views across the Ostalb region. The Limes circular hiking trail near Rainau is about 11 km long and takes approximately 2.5 hours on foot. It runs from the Limes wall and tower between Buch and Schwabsberg through the Mahdholz forest, following the Limes to the southern edge of Schwabsberg.
Lorch Abbey offers another cultural and historical focus in the Ostalb district. It was founded in 1102 by the first Hohenstaufen ruler, Frederick I, and his wife Agnes of Waiblingen as a burial place. The permanent exhibition tells the story of 900 years of monastic history, including through the richly decorated Lorch choir books. The Ostalb district therefore offers a choice of different themes: the history of the Limes, with its named locations and routes, or the history of the abbey, with its architecture and exhibition.
Discover more destinations: Schwäbisch Gmünd, Ellenberg, Heubach, Obergröningen, Ruppertshofen, Böbingen An Der Rems, Jagstzell, Heuchlingen.
Back to the regional travel overview: Ostalb district.
