As we live in an age of fast cars and faster airplanes, the golden age of train travel has gone by the wayside at times. Not here in Ochsenhausen, which lies within wonderful Upper Swabia.
Yes, you could easily come here by a fine German automobile; but, the best way is to take the old steam locomotive train from Warthausen on the Öchsle Steam Locomotive.
The enchanting ride itself runs at a leisurely pace, taking about 70 minutes to go the mere 19km. There are two trains daily (May – mid-October) between Ochsenhausen & Warthausen, costing about 16 Euro per roundtrip (with discounts for families & seniors).
The train does allow bicycles on board in case you want to ride the train oneway, and bicycle your way back on the path running parallel to the train. If you get a bit hungry there’s a restaurant & cafe car onboard.
After the mesmerizing ride, you may wanna visit the Railway Museum.
Now that you’ve made a grand entrance to the town, you’ve got plenty to see and do. One of the most visited sites in Ochsenhausen, which lies on the German scenic routes Upper Swabian Mills Route and Upper Swabian Baroque Route, is the Benedictine Abbey Church of St. Georg.
This abbey opened in 1093 (believed to date back to the 9th century) and didn’t close its doors until 1806. Now, the church is the venue for all sorts of exhibitions and musical concerts, plus it’s got a museum. Come May when the St. Georg Equestrian Procession takes place.
Rest assured, there are other festivals in Ochsenhausen, including the Mostfest (Cider Festival) and a big Carnival parade on the Friday before Ash Wednesday. Plus, early July brings on the Öchsle-Fest, another excuse to ride the rails.
Museums about trains & monks aren’t the only ones in Ochsenhausen. One of the more interesting museums is the Museum of Waschfrauen, which is open Sundays from May to October and is about laundering women.
Just as some of the more interesting architecture in town can be seen at the Rathaus (built 1606), the Gasthof zur Post (built 1650), and the Gottesackerkapelle St. Veit, built in 1679.
After you’re done exploring Ochsenhausen, leave the way you came in — by train. But, then again, who am I to come between the love of man and the German automobile. Yeah, nevermind, go ahead and drive — you took the train already. ;-)
