Located in the ancient province of Swabia, Göppingen certainly retains some of its cultural charm. Built up on a busy tributary of the river Neckar, this little medieval town is nestled amongst the low hills of the area. Its trading past is well known and most of the town north of the river is steeped in history.
With names like “spital street” dotted around the cobbled pedestrianized areas, you can imagine this area being very industrious, selling cloth and other wares. Being so close to the Danube allowed it to attract trade and money to the population here, helping them to build such an interesting and elaborate town.
Although they didn’t build it for two-way modern traffic — nearly ever road in the town center is one way!
Walking is definitely the best way to get around Göppingen, even on a quiet day. And there is certainly a lot to see here to while away the hours. That is, if you aren’t too busy in and out of all the cute little shops lining every street! ;-)
A few hours admiring the model railway here is also another popular pastime — and they certainly have plenty of track and different engines to keep little ones (or grown-up ones) occupied.
The whole area is very rich in history, with a beautiful landscape filled with hill-top castles — not to mention the interesting language spoken here. The melodic tones of the Swabian tongue is still technically German, but even the nationals themselves find it hard to understand!
The communities here are also very proud of their culture, and host numerous events throughout the year — generally in costume, and very lavish.
Göppingen is also a great location to use as a base for the surrounding countryside, and some major towns in the area. This includes the state capital Stuttgart to the west, Tübingen to the south, and the historic city of Ulm with its record breaking church tower to the southeast. The mighty Münster here is 536 feet tall (the highest in the world!) and took 500 years to complete! Its 768 steps to the viewing platform at the top are certainly not easy to climb — but the views are amazing.
