Otterskirchen: Church History, Theater and Hiking Trails

Otterskirchen combines a long church history and theater tradition with trails through the surrounding countryside. An observation tower on Ebersberg offers views of the Danube Valley, while the parish church, war memorial and plague column tell different chapters of the village’s history. When planning your trip, you can decide whether hiking, history or theater culture will shape your stay.

Views and trails around Otterskirchen

Ebersberg is 557 meters high and the highest elevation in the Vorwald. The 27-meter-high observation tower stands there, near Otterskirchen. Built in 1887, it offers views of the Danube Valley; in favorable weather, the Alps can also be seen from there. The tower key can be collected in advance from the Windorf Tourist Information Office.

There are circular trails of varying lengths to choose from for hikes. Circular Trail Nos. 15 and 17, 11 kilometers long, runs from Otterskirchen via Hidring and Ebersberg to the observation tower. The return route goes via Rettenberg, Lapperding, the plague column and Hintergalgenberg to Otterskirchen. Easy Circular Trail No. 18 is 5.1 kilometers long and runs through the countryside around the village. Comparing the trail lengths helps you plan the distance you want to cover; the shorter Trail No. 18 is rated easy.

Church and local history

St. Michael’s Parish Church features a noteworthy acanthus altar. The parish of Otterskirchen is one of the oldest in the Diocese of Passau. Around the year 800, a church was built in Otterskirchen under Ottokar, the Passau choir bishop; the village takes its name from this foundation. The local history thus reaches far back into the early church history of the area.

Next to the parish church, at the northern entrance to the cemetery, stands the war memorial. It was dedicated on May 22, 1921. The plague column also stands nearby, in Lapperding. The people of Otterskirchen erected it in memory of the 482 people who died of the plague in the parish in 1649. The church, memorial and column thus commemorate the history of the village and its parish in different ways.

Theater tradition in Otterskirchen

Theater history also goes back a long way: the first documented account of a theater performance in Otterskirchen dates from 1898. For the years 2023 to 2025, the Otterskirchen Theater Group lists performances of “Da Grantlhuaber,” “Das verflixte Klassentreffen” and “Beim Ochsenwirt geht’s rund.” These three titles offer a concrete glimpse of the group’s more recent productions, without implying a future performance schedule.

More to explore in the wider destination of Windorf

The wider destination of Windorf has its own attractions, too. The Windorf Tourist Information Office houses an exhibition of ship models. The Sieben-Brückerl Trail leads from Windorf via Hacklsdorf and Hirnschnell to the Siebenbrückerl Chapel. From there, it runs back via Frauendorf or takes the shortest route back to Windorf via Wimberg. On Windorf’s Danube island, two signposted circular trails offer hikers views of the island, the Danube and the surrounding area.

This focus gives your planning direction and helps you choose the experiences you would like to discover in Otterskirchen.

Discover more destinations: Rathsmannsdorf.

Go to the wider travel overview: Windorf.