Maselheim between the Way of St. James and the Öchsle Railway

Maselheim brings together excursion routes, railway heritage and churches with distinctive features across several districts. These offer different points of reference for planning a trip: the Way of St. James runs through Äpfingen and Laupertshausen, while the Öchsle Museum Narrow-Gauge Railway reaches Maselheim via Äpfingen and Sulmingen. There are also specific architectural and interior details of the churches, as well as the public bathing area in Ellmannsweiler. You can plan your stay around culture, exercise or seasonal swimming, without combining these themes into a single itinerary.

Routes, railway and swimming season

The Way of St. James runs through Äpfingen and Laupertshausen, two of Maselheim’s districts. The Öchsle Museum Narrow-Gauge Railway reaches Maselheim via Äpfingen and Sulmingen; its 19-kilometre route runs from Warthausen to Ochsenhausen. These provide different route connections: the pilgrimage route through Maselheim’s districts and the museum railway line between the stated endpoints.

Ellmannsweiler has a public bathing area that is ready for the swimming season. It adds a seasonal point of interest for swimmers to the walking and railway themes.

Churches and historical details

The former Heggbach Cistercian convent originated in the mid-13th century from a community of Benedictine nuns. The former convent church of St. Mary and St. George is an elongated hall church with a three-sided choir and a nuns’ gallery. These features describe both the floor plan and the layout of the church interior, giving the former convent complex its own architectural profile.

In Sulmingen, the parish church of St. Dionysius has a late medieval roof structure above the nave and choir, built in two phases. Here, the focus is on a specific structural element and how it was constructed in several stages. The parish church of St. Blaise in Äpfingen was built in 1726 and has a late Gothic tower. Its distinctive interior features include a chalice-shaped baptismal font, Baroque ceiling stucco and a Baroque crucifix.

The parish church in Laupertshausen is dedicated to St. James and St. Pelagius. Its furnishings date from the High Baroque period, while the tower is from the Late Gothic period. Five panel paintings depicting stories and legends about the patron saint of pilgrims can be seen at the organ gallery. The arts, including painting and design, music and theatre, also have a long tradition in Heggbach. Äpfingen and Laupertshausen combine Baroque features with a Late Gothic tower; Heggbach and Sulmingen offer different points of interest with their former convent architecture and two-phase roof structure, respectively.

Transport and regional highlights

Maselheim is in the Donau-Iller local transport network, DING. The network includes buses, trams and trains, and offers a unified fare system across state borders. For specific journeys, check current connections and fares.

An additional highlight in the wider Biberach destination

In the wider Biberach destination, the Upper Swabian Museum Village of Kürnbach presents six centuries of history. More than 30 historic buildings offer insights into everyday life in times gone by. This is a different cultural and historical focus from Maselheim’s churches and religious buildings: in Kürnbach, historic buildings and past ways of life take centre stage.

Discover more destinations: Kanzach, Betzenweiler, Wain, Ertingen, Kirchdorf An Der Iller, Dettingen An Der Iller, Oggelshausen, Ochsenhausen

Back to the wider travel overview: Biberach.