Meßkirch: Castle History, Churches and Felsentäle

Meßkirch brings together castle history, historic churches and the geologically unusual landscape of the Felsentäle. In the town, traces of medieval and Baroque architecture meet museums devoted to local history, technology and philosophy. Campus Galli adds a day-trip destination nearby: a monastery is being built there based on the Plan of St. Gall and using the methods of the 9th century. This offers different focal points for planning a holiday—from a cultural program in town to geological history and an ongoing monastery construction site.

Castle History, Museums and Palace Garden

Meßkirch Castle is considered the earliest four-winged palace north of the Alps. The term “four-winged palace” describes a castle with four wings and thus refers to its basic architectural form. The Carriage House is home to the vintage car museum; in the east wing, a museum explores the life and work of philosopher Martin Heidegger. The Mesmerhaus is Heidegger’s childhood home; Martin Heidegger lived from 1889 to 1976. The Municipal Local History Museum of Meßkirch is housed in the Lower Courtyard. Architecture, technology, philosophy and local history are therefore presented as distinct subjects. Please check current visiting arrangements before visiting the museums mentioned.

The palace garden offers a different focus: it was laid out around 1740 as a French-style palace park with 300 lime trees.

Church Architecture and Art

The parish church of St. Martin was built in the Gothic style in 1526 and converted to the Baroque style between 1769 and 1773; it is considered the last major late Rococo church in Upper Swabia. Inside is an altarpiece by the Master of Meßkirch. The Church of Our Lady has been mentioned since 1272; its Gothic building dates from 1356. At St. Martin, Gothic origins and later Baroque alterations are part of its history; for the Church of Our Lady, the date of its first mention differs from the year its Gothic building was constructed.

Felsentäle: Landscape and Geological History

The Felsentäle in Meßkirch combines caves, ravines and streams with a distinctive geological background: it is a limestone reef from the White Jurassic period, formed in the Jurassic Sea around 140 million years ago. Its landscape features and ancient geological history offer a different focus from the historic buildings.

Campus Galli and How to Get There

The Campus Galli monastery construction site is located near Meßkirch. A monastery is being built there based on the Plan of St. Gall and using the methods of the 9th century; craftspeople and volunteers are involved in the project. The project combines the Plan of St. Gall and 9th-century building methods with the participation of modern-day craftspeople; this is what distinguishes it from Meßkirch’s historic buildings. The Regio 600 bus runs hourly between Meßkirch and nearby Campus Galli. The Meßkirch–Rohrdorf–Campus Galli cycle path leads from Meßkirch town center to the attraction and is 5.21 km long. Please check the current Regio 600 timetable before setting off.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Meßkirch, consider what you want to focus on during your trip: would you like to concentrate on the town’s history and architecture, are you particularly interested in the Felsentäle, or would you also like to include Campus Galli?

Discover more destinations: Scheer, Leibertingen, Illmensee, Herbertingen, Pfullendorf, Herdwangen-Schönach, Sauldorf, Veringenstadt

Return to the main travel overview: Sigmaringen.