This Baden-Württemberg city, home to the Carl Zeiss Museum, has preserved its medieval center and serves as a gateway to the Black Forest region's villages.
Göppingen lies at the foot of the Hohenstaufen mountain along the Fils River in Baden-Württemberg's Stuttgart Region. You can climb the tower of the 15th-century Oberhofen Church for views across town, watch model trains being assembled at the Märklin factory, or examine centuries-old documents at the Jebenhausen Jewish Museum. Walk the medieval streets to find the Renaissance ducal palace, or hike up to the castle ruins in the surrounding Swabian Alps.
Getting Around Göppingen
Walk through the town center's narrow medieval streets, as most are one-way and closed to through traffic. The main train station has direct connections to Stuttgart and other major cities in Baden-Württemberg. Local buses connect all eight districts of Göppingen, including Bartenbach, Faurndau, and Hohenstaufen.
Märklin Museum and Factory
Since 1859, the Märklin factory has produced model railways in Göppingen. At the museum, you'll find model trains and railway systems from the company's 150-year history. Watch the current manufacturing process and examine detailed miniature landscapes built with Märklin trains.
Buildings and Architecture
The Oberhofen Church dates from 1436-1480, with high vaulted ceilings and intricate stone carvings typical of late Gothic style. In the town center stands the ducal palace, built between 1552 and 1568. Both buildings survived the 1782 fire that destroyed much of the original town.
Jewish Museum Jebenhausen
The Jewish Museum, which opened in 1992, contains documents and artifacts from the first Jewish settlement in Jebenhausen through to the destruction of the Göppingen synagogue in 1938. The collection spans 150 years of local Jewish life.
Sports and Recreation
Watch Frisch Auf Göppingen, the local handball team, play their home games in the EWS Arena during the Handball-Bundesliga season. The arena also hosts concerts and events. The Swabian Alps surrounding the town have marked hiking trails leading to medieval castle ruins.
Local Media and Culture
Read the daily "Neue Württembergische Zeitung" or tune in to "Filstalwelle" TV station for local news. Radio Fips, a non-profit station, broadcasts community programming. The town celebrates Swabian culture with seasonal festivals featuring traditional costumes and music.
