Oberkochen combines optical history with a striking landscape destination: the ZEISS Museum of Optics covers important product and technology areas, while Volkmarsberg is the town’s local mountain. There are also circular hiking trails of varying lengths and routes. This makes it easy to tailor a stay to culture, scenery or a route that suits you.
Optical topics and local history
Across ten themed areas, the ZEISS Museum of Optics explores the history and development of product and technology areas important to ZEISS. Topics range from planetariums to optical lithography. Visitors can try out numerous exhibits, including microscopes and binoculars, for themselves. A mini planetarium adds an especially realistic starry sky to the exhibition. This places technological developments alongside hands-on opportunities to experience optical devices and depictions of the night sky.
The collection also spans a wide range: from modern medical technology devices to a photo of Neil Armstrong, taken during the first moon landing with a ZEISS lens, and one of Napoleon’s telescopes. Together, they link technology with a vivid image from the history of space exploration and a historic telescope.
The local history museum in the Schiller House offers a different focus. Large-format photos, informative models and a modern presentation complement the exhibition there. While the ZEISS Museum of Optics focuses on optics, the Schiller House centers on local history; together, the two museums offer different cultural perspectives.
Volkmarsberg and hiking trails
At 743 meters high, Volkmarsberg is Oberkochen’s local mountain. The Schwäbischer Albverein’s observation tower stands amid heathland. On a clear day, the view extends as far as the Alpine range, so visibility conditions expressly determine how far you can see. Alongside the museum’s topics, the mountain adds a landscape perspective to the options for a stay.
The circular hiking trails vary in length and route. Circular Trail 1 is 3.4 kilometers long and follows the paved Bergstraße to the TSV Oberkochen’s Liftstüble. It then turns onto a forest path leading to the nature reserve. Circular Trail 2 is seven kilometers long. For the first trail, the route described includes a change from a paved road to a forest path.
Circular Trail 3 is 9.5 kilometers long. It follows the edge of the forest toward the source of the Kocher, passes Hubertus Spring and the “Bilzhaus” archaeological monument in the Tiefes Tal, then continues along the edge of the nature reserve to Volkmarsberg. There is a barbecue area near the Bilzhütte where you can take a break. These named points along the way give the trail a clearly described route as well as a stated length.
At 9.2 kilometers, the Hans-Zöllner-Weg is only slightly shorter. It starts at the parking lot by the source of the Kocher, leads to the source of the Schwarzer Kocher and then climbs along the forest. It ascends steeply over the Borzelhalde and the Fuchskohlplatte to the Brunnenebene, with views into the valley. Compared with Circular Trail 3, its route stands out for its steep climb and the described valley view. For Circular Trail 3 and the Hans-Zöllner-Weg, it is worth checking local route information before setting out, as trail conditions may change.
Beyond the local circular trails, the signposted Karstquellenweg runs between Oberkochen and Königsbronn. It connects communities on both sides of the European watershed. This offers a regional-scale route, while the circular trails described above focus on individual routes around Oberkochen.
Discover more destinations: Ellenberg, Mutlangen, Waldhausen, Essingen, Lorch, Stödtlen, Rainau, Waldstetten
For the wider travel overview: Ostalbkreis.
