The Nature Discovery Garden, the historic power station and the parish church of St. Catherine give Ottenhofen a clear thematic focus: garden design, the history of technology and architecture. When choosing where to stay, you can weigh these different themes according to the kinds of local details that interest you most.
Garden, the History of Technology and Church Architecture
The Ottenhofen Nature Discovery Garden covers 2,000 m² and is home to 166 wild shrubs, including twelve wild roses. The grounds also include a flower meadow, a dry-stone wall, a sky pond, a wild bee house, and a pile of stones and branches. The garden therefore cannot be reduced to a single group of plants: in addition to the shrubs, open meadow areas and other varied features shape its character. It is located on Meillerweg in Ottenhofen.
The power station on Schwillacher Straße 4/6 represents a different period. In 1888, F. X. Meiller initially operated it as an iron hammer mill powered by a waterwheel. A turbine house with a Francis turbine, a small transformer house, and a weir with a basin were added later. These details trace the station’s development through several technical components, from the original waterwheel to the facilities added later. Alongside the garden, it provides another specific theme to explore in Ottenhofen.
The parish church of St. Catherine also makes its own architectural statement. It stands on elevated ground; its nave is Romanesque in origin and was remodelled in the Baroque style around 1700. The church has an onion dome, and its interior is decorated with stucco and paintings. The Romanesque core and Baroque remodelling belong to different building phases. Anyone interested in architectural history will find several periods represented in a single church building, while the Nature Discovery Garden and the power station offer other perspectives on the town.
For the cycle tour described, the route guide lists the S-Bahn from Poing to Altenerding for the outward journey and from Ottenhofen to Poing for the return journey. These connections are provided for this specific tour and are not a current timetable. Check the connections before setting off.
Erding as a Broader Travel Destination
Within the broader travel destination of Erding, the Erding Farmhouse Museum focuses on regional history. It comprises 15 historic buildings relocated there from the district of Erding and presents historic rural life and farming practices from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Another place with a historical focus is the former home and studio of Franz Xaver Stahl. The Biedermeier house dates from around 1840 and is furnished with period furniture; the former studio has remained unchanged since his death.
Guided city tours in Erding give locals and tourists insight into the history of the city and its buildings. A guided tour of the town tower takes visitors up one of Erding’s oldest buildings. After climbing 163 steps, the tour reaches a height of 35 metres; from there, the view extends across Erding and the surrounding area to Munich, and, in föhn conditions, to the Alpine panorama. Munich is part of the view described, while the Alpine panorama is explicitly dependent on föhn conditions.
The route lengths and times also vary considerably: the themed walks in Erding last around an hour and lead through the old town, city districts or places associated with the painters. Hiking routes in Erding are listed as being between 5.9 and 15 kilometres long, with walking times of between one and a half and five hours. The themed walks therefore take less time than the listed hikes; the distance and estimated walking time help indicate the scale of each outing. There are also more than 28 varied, well-signposted cycle routes in the district of Erding.
The Erding Farmhouse Museum can be reached by city bus routes 523 and 524, as well as regional bus routes 561 and 562, to the “Erding-Freilichtmuseum” stop. These transport details are current as of 8 September 2026; check the routes before setting off. A farmers’ market is held on the museum grounds every Friday from 12:00 to 16:30. Farmers from the district of Erding offer regional and seasonal goods and food there. As market hours may change, check them before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Pastetten, Langenpreising, Walpertskirchen, Neuching, Taufkirchen (Vils), Erding, Eitting, Fraunberg.
Back to the broader travel guide: Erding.
