Discover Schalchen

Schalchen combines regional history, a walking trail with a special starting point and traditional pilgrimage customs. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in Schalchen can plan their stay around a range of interests: the Stone Sculptors’ Trail leads from the town centre into surroundings shaped by the Brunnbach, while the parish church, local heritage museum and Peace Square offer insights into culture and remembrance. In addition, Kindsbründl is a place in the Kobernaußerwald that is still associated with a special tradition today.

Art and history in Schalchen

The Stone Sculptors’ Trail begins in the town centre near the primary school. Beside the main road stands the first sculpture, entitled “Life”. The trail crosses the divided Brunnbach on two small footbridges and follows the stream past the tennis courts. This makes it possible to combine a cultural focus with a route whose individual stops can be easily incorporated into your own day plan. For families in particular, the contrast between artwork, stream and town area can provide interesting topics for conversation without limiting the visit to a single theme.

Another cultural landmark is the parish church of St. James. Its high altar dates from 1677. The southern side chapel also contains a Barbara group by the sculptor Thomas Schwanthaler. It comes from the former Church of St. Barbara, which was demolished around 1850. Anyone interested in sacred art and the development of historic buildings will find several layers of history in one place: the 17th-century high altar and the Barbara group from an earlier church.

The Schalchen Local Heritage Museum presents the history of the scythe forges. It is located in the former Lukas Lederer Sölde, a small farmstead where a scythe worker once lived. The museum thus complements the ecclesiastical artworks with insights into the history of work and the local area. Peace Square is a memorial site for peace in the area of the Schalchen Brunnbach on Kaltenbrunnerstraße. It serves to commemorate the victims of both world wars, as well as for resting, lingering and reflection.

Nature and pilgrimage tradition

The Kindsbründl spring continues to bubble in the middle of the Kobernaußerwald. According to tradition, childless women made pilgrimages there in the hope of being blessed with children. Another story tells that an old woman gave the female pilgrims water from the spring and medicinal herbs. These stories are part of the site’s traditional religious character and should be understood as such.

The Innviertel Way of St. James also offers a broader thematic perspective. It connects Passau and Salzburg and continues the pilgrimage route from Krumau (Czech Republic) to Passau. This connection may be particularly interesting for your travel planning if you would like to combine culture, landscape and pilgrimage history.

Discover more places in the surrounding area

If you would like to compare other places with Schalchen when planning your trip, you will find direct connections here: Neukirchen an der Enknach, Lochen, Haigermoos, Sankt Radegund, Pischelsdorf am Engelbach, Sankt Georgen am Fillmannsbach, Eggelsberg and Aufhausen.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Schalchen, it is therefore advisable to first determine the character you want for your stay. Between art and church history, places of remembrance, the stream, a forest spring and pilgrimage tradition, the municipality offers several specific themes around which you can plan your holiday days.

For the overarching travel overview: Braunau am Inn.