Gessertshausen: Experience Monastery History, Art and Nature

Those looking to combine cultural history and nature in Gessertshausen will find a particular focus in Oberschönenfeld: the Swabian Museum of Folklore, the Kunstforum and a three-kilometre meditation trail each represent a different side of the area. A traditional Christmas market adds local crafts and hands-on activities for families and children. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth deciding first whether exhibitions, a walk through the Schwarzachtal valley or a seasonal market will shape your stay.

Monastery History and Art in Oberschönenfeld

In 1984, the District of Swabia established the Swabian Museum of Folklore in former farm buildings belonging to the Cistercian Abbey of Oberschönenfeld. The buildings’ former use is therefore a tangible part of the history of this museum site. The Kunstforum Oberschönenfeld complements the cultural offering with themed exhibitions. Works by a single artist or several artists are on display, in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, video art and installation.

The Kunstforum also regularly presents works from the art collection of the Oberschönenfeld Museum. Themed exhibitions and displays from a collection are thus presented side by side: two different reasons to engage with art. If you prefer a guided introduction to local history, a bookable tour exploring Oberschönenfeld’s eventful past includes a walk around the grounds followed by a visit to an exhibition.

A Trail Through the Schwarzachtal Valley

The three-kilometre meditation trail leads from the Cistercian Abbey to Weiherhof, through the Schwarzachtal valley and along the edge of the forest. Its twelve wooden steles bear brief inspirational words and connect the abbey church with the Chapel of Mary of the Seven Sorrows. The trail therefore offers both a clearly described route and named stops that shape its meditative character. Its length and stated endpoints provide practical guidance if you would like to add a walk to your time in Oberschönenfeld.

Visitors can enjoy a different activity near the playground in Oberschönenfeld: fallow deer and roe deer can be fed in an enclosed area. This gives you a choice of two distinct experiences: the meditation trail through the Schwarzachtal valley or an animal encounter at this location.

A Christmas Market as a Seasonal Attraction

The Oberschönenfeld Christmas Market traditionally takes place on the third weekend of Advent. Local crafts and hands-on activities for families and children are part of its offering. A visit during market season is therefore different from a trip focused primarily on the exhibitions or the meditation trail. If the market is the reason for your trip, check the specific event dates for your chosen year.

Choose Accommodation Based on the Reason for Your Trip

When looking for accommodation in Gessertshausen, you can start by deciding what you would like to focus on during your stay: art and museum history, a walk along the meditation trail, or the seasonal market all lead to different travel plans. For a stay centred around the Christmas market, its traditional date on the third weekend of Advent is a useful starting point. If you are primarily interested in the exhibitions, you can plan a visit to the Kunstforum and the bookable guided tour as separate activities.

More Ideas in the Broader Augsburg Destination

In the broader Augsburg destination, the Bonstetten LandArt art trail offers another highlight: this 5.65-kilometre circular hiking route features the artist Hama Lohrmann explaining his sculptures in person. Cyclists can make use of an extensive network of well-developed cycle paths in the district of Augsburg. The Stauden, Holzwinkel and Reischenau regions are part of Augsburg — Western Forests Nature Park. There, Westwood Alpacas regularly offers alpaca walks and excursions through the nature park. These options add further art and nature experiences in the wider destination to Gessertshausen’s own attractions.

Discover more destinations: Thierhaupten, Altenmünster, Kutzenhausen, Ehingen, Adelsried, Horgau, Dinkelscherben, Wehringen

Back to the broader travel overview: Augsburg.