Discover Oberkochen

Oberkochen combines a museum of technological history with Volkmarsberg and a variety of hiking routes. At the ZEISS Museum of Optics, you can explore optical exhibits and try them out for yourself; outdoors, trails lead through forests and heathland, for example to Volkmarsberg or towards the source of the Kocher. This gives you a choice of different focuses for your trip: culture and technology, views and scenery, or longer walks.

Discover optics at the ZEISS Museum of Optics

Across ten themed areas, the ZEISS Museum of Optics explores the history of the development of key ZEISS product and technology fields. Topics range from planetariums to optical lithography. Visitors can try out numerous exhibits for themselves, including microscopes and binoculars. The museum also has a mini-planetarium with an especially realistic starry sky.

The exhibition spans everything from modern medical technology devices to historic objects with remarkable stories. These include a photograph taken by Neil Armstrong with a ZEISS lens during the first moon landing, and one of Napoleon’s telescopes. The museum thus combines hands-on exploration with insights into technological developments and remarkable exhibits.

Volkmarsberg and hiking trails

At 743 metres, Volkmarsberg is Oberkochen’s local mountain. Its summit is home to the Swabian Alb Association’s observation tower, set amid heathland. In good visibility, views extend as far as the Alps. The mountain offers a distinctive landscape experience and a vantage point; the possibility of distant views depends explicitly on visibility.

Comparing trail lengths helps with planning: Circular Trail 1 is 3.4 kilometres long, Circular Trail 2 is seven kilometres, and Circular Trail 3 is 9.5 kilometres. The first follows the paved mountain road to the TSV Oberkochen Liftstüble, then turns onto a forest path leading to the nature reserve. This lets you match your preferred distance with a specific route without treating the three circular walks as if they were the same.

Circular Trail 3 follows the edge of the forest towards the source of the Kocher, passing Hubertusquelle in the Tiefes Tal and the archaeological monument “Bilzhaus.” It then runs along the edge of the nature reserve towards Volkmarsberg. There is a barbecue area at Bilzhütte where you can take a break. If you are interested in the 9.2-kilometre Hans-Zöllner Trail, start at the car park by the source of the Kocher: the trail leads to the source of the Black Kocher and continues uphill through the forest. A steep climb takes you via Borzelhalde and Fuchskohlplatte to Brunnenebene, with views into the valley.

In the wider region, the signposted Karst Springs Trail runs between Oberkochen and Königsbronn. It connects communities on both sides of the European watershed. In addition to the trails with specific destinations around Oberkochen, this offers a regional route with its own wider context.

In the Ostalb district: the Limes near Rainau

The Ostalb district offers its own way to explore Roman history at Limes Park Rainau. There, the finest sections and most significant individual monuments of the Limes are preserved in a uniquely concentrated area. A reconstructed watchtower offers panoramic views across the Ostalb region. The Dalkingen Limes Gate is a unique structure along the entire Limes route between the Rhine and the Danube. The signposted circular Limes trail near Rainau is about 11 kilometres long and takes approximately 2.5 hours on foot. It runs from the Limes wall and the Limes tower between Buch and Schwabsberg, through the “Mahdholz” forest alongside the Limes, to the southern edge of Schwabsberg.

When looking for accommodation, it is worth deciding first what you want to focus on during your stay: will the museum be the main attraction, are you most interested in Volkmarsberg and the hiking trails, or will you also visit destinations in the Ostalb district? In Oberkochen, the routes mentioned offer different lengths and destinations; the Limes sites near Rainau provide a separate regional focus.

Discover more destinations

Schwäbisch Gmünd, Täferrot, Neresheim, Göggingen, Tannhausen, Unterschneidheim, Westhausen, Eschach

Go to the higher-level travel overview: Ostalb district.