Discover Göppingen
Accommodation in Göppingen
Göppingen combines Staufer history with contemporary art and lively festival traditions. The ruins of the Staufer dynasty’s ancestral castle are located in the Hohenstaufen district. It was built around 1070 and destroyed in the Peasants’ War in 1525. Hohenstaufen is also the central point of the “Staufer Route” cultural trail, which leads to important architectural landmarks from the Staufer period. Those interested in the region’s history will find a striking starting point here for further discoveries.
View from Eichertstrasse to Göppingen with Hohenstaufen and Rechberg
Photo: W. Bulach via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Staufer history, art and urban traditions
In spring and summer, the city of Göppingen offers a free guided tour of the 684-metre-high Hohenstaufen once a month, including information about its history. Check the current dates before visiting. The Staufer exhibition offers another historical perspective: it explores the history of the Staufer dynasty, including the reigns of Frederick I Barbarossa and his grandson Frederick II.
Art is also part of Göppingen’s cultural identity. Since 1989, the Kunsthalle Göppingen has presented international contemporary art through exhibitions and in public and digital spaces; the exhibitions vary. In the cityscape, Schlossplatz, the Renaissance castle and the town church form a harmonious ensemble. Schlossplatz was redesigned in 2014.
Göppingen’s festival traditions have different historical roots. The original Göppingen Peace and Thanksgiving Festival was first held on 11 August 1650 to celebrate the end of the Thirty Years’ War. The Maientag is a traditional local festival that has brought together tradition and modernity for more than 350 years. In Jebenhausen, a suggested circular route leads to sites of Jewish history and remembrance. Check the latest access details for individual sites.
Trails and landscapes across the wider Göppingen destination
Looking beyond the city to the wider Göppingen destination, you’ll find a range of tour options in the district. The Löwenpfade are circular hiking trails ranging from 3 to 24 kilometres. They can be walked in either direction and are signposted and waymarked both ways. At each starting point, an information board provides details about the route, elevation profile and sights along the way. For mountain biking, there are four Löwentrails circular routes, ranging from 16 to 30 kilometres; they are particularly suitable for beginners and e-mountain bikers. The information about route length and tour type helps distinguish between hiking and cycling plans.
The 186-kilometre “Albtäler” cycling route offers further landscape experiences, passing through Göppingen district as well as the neighbouring districts of Heidenheim and Alb-Donau-Kreis. The 35-kilometre Obstroute is a family-friendly way to explore the traditional orchard landscape. Orchards shape this historic cultural landscape along the Albtrauf in the district. Sparkling wines are made in Göppingen district from Champagner Bratbirnen pears grown in the surrounding traditional orchards. Between Wiesensteig and Geislingen, the Fils has carved rock formations and deep gorges into the Swabian Alb.
The wider Göppingen destination also offers attractions outside the city for culture enthusiasts: Wäscherschloss in Wäschenbeuren dates back to the early 13th century. The Märklineum presents the history of the Märklin company and its products. These regional destinations can be linked thematically to Staufer history, landscapes or the history of technology, without implying a fixed excursion route.
Choose the right focus for your accommodation
When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first consider what you want to focus your trip on: art, urban history and Göppingen’s festival traditions, or more hiking and cycling tours and other destinations in the district. For getting around locally, Göppingen’s Faurndau district has a railway stop and a rail connection on the Filstal timetable. Local public transport there includes bus and train services, particularly to central Göppingen and the Stuttgart metropolitan area. Check the latest timetables before travelling.
Guided tour dates and trails offer different experiences: a seasonal guided tour combines Hohenstaufen with its history, while the Löwenpfade and Löwentrails differ in tour type and route length, among other things. When choosing your accommodation, your planned mix of culture, hiking and cycling can therefore be a helpful guide. This lets you tailor your search for a holiday apartment in Göppingen to the experiences that matter most to you during your stay.
Discover more destinations: Wiesensteig, Eislingen/Fils, Süßen, Aichelberg, Hohenstadt, Heiningen, Bad Boll, Gruibingen.
Back to the main travel overview: Göppingen.
