Obersöchering: Building Heritage and Routes Through the Moors

Churches, memorials and historic houses

The Catholic branch church of the Assumption of Mary, also known as Liebfrauenkirche, is essentially a Romanesque chancel-tower church dating from around 1200 and is listed as a historic building. Its name and Romanesque core give it a different character from the Catholic parish church of St Peter and Paul, which has a recessed polygonal choir in the Late Gothic style. Anyone interested in architectural history can therefore explore two churches with different documented features without reducing them to the same period of construction.

Another historic detail can be found at Habacher Straße 2. There stands a war memorial listed as a historic building, commemorating the First World War. It depicts an over-life-size Saint Sebastian on a tall pedestal; it also includes a small fountain basin and name plaques. The name plaque from the former rectory at the same address is also listed as a historic building. It bears the year 1639—a date that refers to the plaque.

Two buildings on Hauptstraße also offer different architectural impressions. The residential section of the former farmhouse at Hauptstraße 2 is a two-storey rendered building with a carved upper-level balcony and a projecting gabled roof in Neo-Gothic forms; it is dated 1869. The building at Hauptstraße 4, listed as a historic building, is a two-storey, elongated single-ridge farmstead with a shallow gabled roof. Its core dates from the late 18th century. The features thus range from the Romanesque chancel-tower church and Late Gothic forms to rural building types and Neo-Gothic details.

Hikes through the moors and around the pond

A hike through the moors near Obersöchering is described as an easy, almost flat 9.7-kilometre circular route. It runs mostly along paved farm roads. The information on distance, elevation profile and surface provides a concrete basis if you want to include a longer route with mostly paved surfaces in your plans for the day. This route is clearly distinct from the “Pfaffenwinkel Obersöchering” hike: no distance is given for the latter, but its route is described.

The “Pfaffenwinkel Obersöchering” hike starts at the car park by the sports ground near Obersöchering, goes around the Pollinger Weiher and returns to the car park. Its stated starting and finishing point identifies it as a circular route; the pond is the landmark along the way. If you plan to make hiking a regular part of your stay, you can compare the two routes based on the features given for each: the moorland loop is defined by its distance, almost flat terrain and mostly paved farm roads, while the other route starts at the car park and goes around the Pollinger Weiher.

Cycling through Obersöchering

The “Riegseerunde” cycling route also passes through Obersöchering and then continues along a cycle path towards Habach and Sindelsdorf. It adds a route explicitly designated for cycling to the hiking options. It is a separate option for your holiday plans if you would like to combine a visit to the village with a bike ride; the information provided concerns its route through Obersöchering and the direction it takes along the cycle path afterwards.

For anyone interested in cultural history, the churches, war memorial and buildings described here offer a range of architectural styles and details. If you would rather spend time outdoors, you can choose between the 9.7-kilometre loop through the moors, the route around the Pollinger Weiher and the Riegseerunde. More local pages to help you choose: Sindelsdorf, Antdorf.

For the main travel overview: Habach.