In Bibertal, natural meadow valleys meet buildings and historic features in several districts. The Osterbach shapes the landscape; Silheim, Ettlishofen, Kissendorf and Opferstetten each offer their own points of connection to local history. Two different focuses can help you plan a stay: walks and cycling tours in the valley, and a closer look at half-timbered houses, churches and other local features.
Osterbach Valley and Cycle Route 1
The Osterbach winds through natural, little-developed meadow valleys that invite you to go for walks and cycle. This is an ideal way to experience the landscape for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors. The local section of Cycle Route 1 runs through the Osterbach Valley via Silheim and Ettlishofen along a quiet district road.
Cycle Route 1 extends beyond this local section. Along the B10, the route passes through Ober- and Unterfahlheim to Echlishausen and BĂĽhl in the neighbouring district of GĂĽnzburg. Via Hetschwang, it re-enters the district of Neu-Ulm shortly before Balmertshofen. Anyone looking for a longer regional cycling route should consider the route as a whole, not just the section through Silheim and Ettlishofen. For a stay focused on Bibertal, however, the valley and localities mentioned there are the main attractions.
Half-timbered houses, chapels and churches
The Gasthof Zahn in Silheim is a half-timbered building with a gabled roof dating from the 17th century. Its construction and roof style provide two specific details about the building: half-timbering describes its construction, while the gabled roof describes its roof shape. Another half-timbered house can be found at DeiblerstraĂźe 20 in Ettlishofen; it dates from the second half of the 17th century. The two buildings thus share similar architectural styles, while the date of the Ettlishofen house is more precisely defined.
The chapels and churches also reveal different historical layers. In Silheim, a wayside chapel dating from the 18th century stands on the road to Großkissendorf. At the northern end of Ettlishofen, there is a wayside chapel with historic furnishings; a medieval stone cross stands right next to it. Silheim’s Catholic Church of St Apollonia has a late Gothic core. It was remodelled in the Baroque style in the second quarter of the 18th century and has a tower dating from 1730. The Catholic Church of St Ulrich and St Leonhard in Ettlishofen also has a late Gothic core, but was remodelled in 1834. The different dates help distinguish the architectural histories of the two churches.
Trees and other traces of history
At the northern exit of Kissendorf stands a lime tree about 350 years old, believed to be the second-oldest lime tree in Swabia. It is 22 m tall, its crown is 24 m wide, and its trunk has a circumference of 7.20 m. Another lime tree stands by the Rudolph inn in Kissendorf. North of Opferstetten, along the continuation of Veilchenweg, there is a Roman burial ground. The Anhofer Mill lies about 500 m northeast of Ettlishofen. The two-and-a-half-storey building dates from the third quarter of the 19th century. The tree, burial ground and mill add other kinds of historic and landscape features to the churches and half-timbered houses.
More destinations in the wider GĂĽnzburg destination
The wider Günzburg destination has other distinct themes to explore. The DonAuwald hiking trail is around 60 km long and runs between Günzburg and Schwenningen. The DonauHänge is an 18.5 km circular route between Günzburg and Offingen through the slope forest. The routes differ in both length and format: the DonAuwald trail connects two places, while the DonauHänge is described as a circular route. Also in the Günzburg destination, the Bavarian School Museum in Ichenhausen presents the development of the school system over thousands of years. Its historic classroom once accommodated around 50 children. These regional examples complement Bibertal’s local landscape and cultural themes, but are not themselves associated with Bibertal’s districts.
Discover more destinations: BĂĽhl, Bubesheim, Haldenwang, Waldstetten, Burtenbach, Krumbach, Kammeltal, Ziemetshausen.
Back to the wider travel overview: GĂĽnzburg.
