Oberkochener Stadtfest

Stadtfest Oberkochen — Club life on Eugen-Bolz-Platz

When Eugen-Bolz-Platz in the heart of Oberkochen is redeveloped in June, one of the annual highlights for the city's approximately 8,000 inhabitants will be announced: the Oberkochener Stadtfest. For three days, the central square in the shadow of the town church and town hall becomes a festival mile where clubs, restaurateurs, and families from the entire Ostalb district meet. You'll experience a summer festival here that gets by without commercialisation — it's supported by local club life.

Palio of Oberkochen — Fast straw instead of fast horses

The absolute trademark of the Stadtfest is the Palio of Oberkochen. Inspired by the world-famous horse race in Siena, Italy, it's not real horses that compete, but teams from Oberkochen clubs and districts rolling straw bales on a course through the city centre. The race is watched by more and more spectators every year and has long since become an identity-forming tradition. City districts, company workforces, and clubs compete against each other in several heats — the final on Sunday afternoon decides who takes the Palio trophy home.

Music and catering programme by local clubs

On the stage at Eugen-Bolz-Platz, cover bands, the Stadtkapelle Oberkochen, and regional acts take turns — from the Friday evening keg tapping to the Sunday night closing party. Around the stage, clubs such as the Oberkochen Volunteer Fire Brigade, the Music Association Stadtkapelle, the Sports Club, and church groups run their stalls with grilled sausages, fries, steaks, crêpes, and Swabian specialities. Beer comes from a regional brewery, along with wine, cocktail bars, and non-alcoholic refreshments.

Oberkochen — Optics city between the Swabian Jura and Ostalb

Oberkochen is located in the Ostalbkreis district, between Aalen and Heidenheim, at the foot of the Swabian Jura. The town is world-famous for Carl Zeiss and Zeiss Meditec — two world market leaders in the optical industry, whose headquarters are located here. The town, with its approximately 8,000 inhabitants, seems small but has industrial history: after 1945, the former limestone quarry site became the cradle of the present-day Zeiss Group. This is reflected in the cityscape by the Zeiss factory sites and the housing estates built for employees.

2026 — A special event year in Oberkochen

In 2026, the Stadtfest is part of an exceptionally dense event year. With the opening of the new Dreißentalhalle in May 2026, the club fair, and around 100 other events from sports, culture, concerts, and social affairs, the city is setting an event record. The Stadtfest also benefits from the new infrastructure. For 2027, two more anniversaries are already planned: 100 years of the Musikverein Stadtkapelle and 200 years of the Ars Cantus Choir.

Excursion to the Swabian Jura

Those who want to extend the Stadtfest into a weekend trip will find worthwhile destinations around Oberkochen: the Albtrauf with the hiking trails around the Volkmarsberg (740 m), the Tiefer Stollen mine in Aalen-Wasseralfingen, the historic city centre of Aalen with the Limesmuseum, and the Schloss-Ruine Katzenstein castle ruins. In summer, the Swabian Jura is a paradise for hiking and cycling; the Stadtfest on the weekend is the ideal social conclusion.