Feichten a.d.Alz: Pilgrimage Church and Bundwerk Barn Culture

Pilgrimage Church and Stone-Cast Madonna

Construction of the originally Gothic, three-aisled hall church “Zu unserer lieben Frau in Feichten” began on 4 April 1502. Many indulgences were granted to fund it. Its original Gothic character and hall-church design give the building a distinctive architectural profile; the precise date places its beginnings in Feichten’s history.

On 27 April 1518, Bishop Berthold of Chiemsee consecrated the pilgrimage church with its six altars and cemetery. An older art-historical legacy can be seen in the Madonna of Feichten: the highly valuable stone-cast Madonna, in the so-called “Soft Style,” dates from around 1400 and still stands at the pilgrimage altar today. Its approximate date of creation predates the start of the church’s construction. Thus, this pilgrimage site brings together an older devotional image and a later church building.

Bundwerk Barn Culture and Hiking

With its three landmark examples, Feichten a.d.Alz is considered a “center of Bundwerk barn culture.” This gives local architectural culture its own distinct character alongside sacred architecture and art history. Those interested in the different ways a place expresses its identity can weigh these themes when planning their stay: the pilgrimage church as a historic church building and Bundwerk barn culture as another defining facet of Feichten.

There is also a clear option for outdoor activity: in Feichten, you can set off on hikes in three different directions. This complements the cultural and historical attractions with an active way to spend your stay. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider whether church and architectural culture, hiking, or a combination of these interests should determine your choice of accommodation.

Altötting as the Wider Regional Context

The broader context includes the wider travel destination of Altötting. Altötting district lies along the Inn and Salzach rivers. Its landscape is characterized by a plain about 10 kilometers wide, through which the Inn flows; lush green hills border it to the north and south. This landscape description applies to the district and provides regional context for Feichten’s local features.

The district’s natural areas include a variety of habitats along the Inn. The Dachlwand nature reserve on the Inn lies northwest of Marktl, includes parts of the municipalities of Marktl, Erlbach and Perach, and covers about 206 hectares. In 1986, it was converted from a landscape conservation area into a nature reserve. The internationally significant “Lower Inn between Haiming and Neuhaus” wetland provides a habitat for migrating, overwintering and breeding marsh and water birds. More than 25 different bird species associated with aquatic and wetland habitats breed there—a notable feature for visitors interested in nature and birdlife.

Peracher Badesee is also among the bathing lakes listed by Altötting district. Check facilities and conditions before setting out. Nature watching and a bathing lake thus complement the cultural and landscape attractions of the wider destination; they should be seen as regional points of reference, distinct from the features of Feichten described here.

The wider travel destination of Altötting also offers its own historical and cultural landmarks. St. Anna Basilica is the largest church in Altötting and accommodates more than 8,000 people. The octagonal structure of the Chapel of Grace in Altötting was probably built around the year 700 and is considered to be Germany’s oldest centrally planned building. The Treasury of Altötting houses the Goldenes Rössl, made in 1404 in the Parisian court workshops. These examples offer a different cultural focus from Feichten’s pilgrimage church and Bundwerk barn culture.

Discover more destinations: Emmerting, Burghausen, Burgkirchen An Der Alz, Neuötting, Pleiskirchen, Marktl, Winhöring, Altötting.

Go to the wider travel overview: Altötting.