Ottenhofen: Nature Garden, Power Station and Church Architecture

A nature display garden with 166 wild shrubs, a power station with a history of waterwheels, and an elevated parish church give Ottenhofen its own distinctive character. These three places offer different starting points for planning your trip: garden design, technological history and church architecture. You can decide which themes you would like to shape your stay.

The Nature Display Garden in Ottenhofen

The Nature Display Garden on Meillerweg covers 2,000 square metres and is home to 166 wild shrubs, including twelve wild roses. Other features include a wildflower meadow, a dry-stone wall and a pond called the Himmelsweiher. A wild bee house and a pile of stones and branches also shape the garden. Planting, water and a range of structural features come together here to create a varied nature theme. If you enjoy looking at different types and elements of a garden while on holiday, this mix offers specific details rather than just a patch of green.

Hydropower and Church Architecture

The power station at Schwillacher Straße 4/6 was first operated by F. X. Meiller in 1888 as an ironworks with a waterwheel. A turbine house with a Francis turbine, a transformer hut and a weir with a basin were added later. This sequence makes the development of the site easy to follow: the original operation was followed by further structural elements of hydropower technology. The power station’s history is therefore a distinct theme alongside garden design.

The parish church of St. Catherine also offers a clear view of different periods of construction. It stands on elevated ground; its nave is Romanesque in origin and was remodelled in the Baroque style around 1700. The church has its present onion dome, while the interior features stucco and paintings. Those interested in architecture can observe Romanesque features, the later remodelling and the current form of the tower as distinct characteristics.

Erding: Museums, Market and City History

Within the wider destination of Erding, the Erdinger Bauernhausmuseum offers a distinctive cultural focus. It comprises 15 historic buildings relocated there from the Erding district and depicts rural economic and everyday life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The relocated buildings and their historical context offer two different perspectives on the rural past.

A farmers’ market is held on the grounds of the Bauernhausmuseum every Friday from 12:00 to 16:30. Farmers from the Erding district sell regional and seasonal produce and food there. Check the market hours before your visit, as the schedule may change. Another historical perspective is offered by the former home and studio of Franz Xaver Stahl: the Biedermeier house dates from around 1840 and is furnished with historical furniture. The former studio has remained unchanged since his death.

Guided tours in Erding give residents and visitors an insight into the history of the town and its buildings. A tour of the town tower takes you up one of Erding’s oldest buildings. After 163 steps, the tour reaches a height of 35 metres; from there, the view extends across Erding and the surrounding area to Munich and, on föhn days, as far as the Alpine panorama. The view therefore comes with a clear condition: the Alpine panorama is specified for föhn days.

Trails and Getting Around in the Erding Destination

For planning your time in Erding, you can choose between different walking options. The hiking trails are between 5.9 and 15 kilometres long, with walking times estimated at one and a half to five hours. The themed walks take around an hour and lead through the Old Town, through town districts or in the footsteps of artists. The Erding district also has more than 28 varied, well-signposted cycling tours. This range of routes offers different ways to explore the area without requiring the same distances or time budgets.

For one described cycling tour, the outward journey is by S-Bahn from Poing to Altenerding, with the return from Ottenhofen to Poing. City bus routes 523 and 524 and regional bus routes 561 and 562 go to the “Erding-Freilichtmuseum” stop at the Erdinger Bauernhausmuseum. Check current connections before travelling.

The local attractions in Ottenhofen are the Nature Display Garden, the power station and the parish church of St. Catherine; the wider destination of Erding adds museums, guided tours, markets and trails. Tailor your search to the themes that matter most for your stay.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Sankt Wolfgang, Pastetten, Forstern, Finsing, Walpertskirchen, Isen, Steinkirchen, Langenpreising.

Back to the main travel overview: Erding.