Discover Öhningen: Monastery History and Hiking Trails
Accommodation in Öhningen
Öhningen combines monastic history and church art with insights into the Stone Age, moderately challenging hiking trails and facilities at the outdoor swimming area. When looking for a holiday apartment in Öhningen, it helps to first consider which of these themes you want to shape your stay: culture, hiking or time at the outdoor swimming area.
From the Monastery to Local History
The founding of Öhningen Monastery is dated to 965. It existed as an Augustinian collegiate monastery until it was dissolved during secularisation in 1803. The former collegiate church is now the Catholic parish church of St. Hippolytus and Verena; it was built in the late Renaissance style. These key dates provide a long historical framework for the town without conflating its different periods of construction and use.
A history trail through Öhningen was established in 2005 to mark the 850th anniversary. Its stops introduce visitors interested in the subject to the town’s history. Guided tours of the entire monastery grounds are also held regularly. If you would like to plan a tour, check locally for dates.
Church Art and Tradition in Kattenhorn and Schienen
Above Kattenhorn stands the Protestant St. Peter’s Church, with large stained-glass windows based on designs by Otto Dix. This gives Öhningen a specific connection to art in addition to its monastic history. The windows offer a reason in their own right to explore the church and its design.
The focus of the centuries-old Marian pilgrimage in Schienen is the miraculous image “Mary with the Child”: a wooden sculpture dating from 1430. The annual “Translation Festival” in Schienen offers a different cultural highlight, commemorating mystical events from the past. If you are planning to travel for the festival, check the latest dates.
Stone Age Finds and Exhibition in Wangen
The Fischerhaus Museum in Wangen presents a selection of Neolithic finds from Wangen’s pile-dwelling bay at Hinterhorn. There is also a small exhibition in the pile-dwelling house at the Fischerhaus Museum. Information panels by the Institute for Wetland and Underwater Archaeology of the State Office for Monument Preservation in Hemmenhofen introduce visitors to the history of Stone Age people. The collection and exhibition therefore have different focuses: the finds from the pile-dwelling bay on the one hand, and an interpretation of the Stone Age way of life on the other.
The Fischerhaus Museum hosts children’s birthday parties on request, with archery, Stone Age crafts, a dugout canoe and Stone Age flatbread. Check current availability directly with the museum. These activities give families interested in hands-on Stone Age experiences a specific reason to enquire.
Comparing Two Moderately Challenging Hiking Trails
The Höri Adventure Trail is 7.1 kilometres long and runs from Öhningen via the Klingenbach Gorge to Wangen. The cross-border Öhningen–Stein am Rhein Adventure Trail is 7.5 kilometres long and is also considered moderately challenging. The routes are similar in length, while their courses and destinations offer different points of reference: one route features the Klingenbach Gorge and Wangen, while the other leads to Stein am Rhein. Before setting out on the cross-border trail, check local conditions.
Outdoor Swimming Area, Harbour and Bus Connection
The outdoor swimming area in Öhningen has a sandy beach, a children’s playground, table tennis tables, a diving tower and a beach volleyball court. For planning a visit with children, the playground is a specific point of reference; table tennis, the diving tower and the beach volleyball court are other options at the swimming area. Facilities may change, so check before your visit whether the amenities you want are available.
There is a swimming pier at Oberstaad Harbour in Öhningen. If you would like to include different modes of transport in your plans, bus route 201 connects Radolfzell, Moos, Schienen and Öhningen. As bus routes and timetables may change, check the latest information with the transport operator before travelling.
The different themes can help you narrow down the kind of holiday you want: monastic history and church art, the Stone Age exhibition in Wangen, one of the two moderately challenging routes or the facilities at the outdoor swimming area. You can then tailor your search for a holiday apartment in Öhningen to the experiences that matter most to you during your stay.
Discover more destinations: Engen, Konstanz, Büsingen am Hochrhein, Gottmadingen, Mühlhausen-Ehingen, Orsingen-Nenzingen, Litzelstetten.
Return to the main travel overview: Konstanz.
