Discover Kaisheim: Pilgrimage Routes and Monastery History

Two Way of St. James Routes Meet in Kaisheim

The Franconian Way of St. James approaches from the north via Nuremberg, Oettingen, Harburg and the Karab. The East Bavarian Way of St. James runs from Regensburg via Eichstätt. Both routes meet in Kaisheim. Their different approaches make the town a clearly identifiable meeting point for travellers interested in the Ways of St. James: one route description leads through the places listed above from the north, while the other comes from Regensburg via Eichstätt.

Monastic Architecture and “Behind Bars”

The Kaisersaal is one and a half storeys high. It is the largest and most lavishly decorated room in the monastery building. Only rudimentary remains of the library and summer refectory halls have survived. This places a particularly large, richly decorated room alongside other halls whose original features have largely been lost, presenting different aspects of the monastery’s architecture.

The permanent exhibition “Behind Bars” shows how Bavaria’s penal system has changed since the 19th century. It occupies four rooms in the Kaisersaal wing. Its themes include daily life in prison, the development and organisation of the penal system, the journey from admission to release, and the difficulties of reintegration into freedom. The museum is currently closed; check whether its access status has changed before visiting.

Geology in the Wider Donau-Ries Destination

In the wider Donau-Ries destination, the Ries Geopark, with the Ries Crater formed by a meteorite impact, is one of the tourist attractions. The Ries Crater Museum displays meteorites, fossils and a piece of real moon rock, as well as information panels and multimedia exhibits. It explores the impact that created the Nördlingen Ries, its cosmic background and its effects to this day. The exhibition is housed in a painstakingly renovated medieval barn dating from 1503.

The Kühstein Geopark educational trail offers another perspective on Earth’s history in the wider Donau-Ries area: eight information panels explain the processes involved in the meteorite impact 14.5 million years ago. From Buchberg, visitors can enjoy a panorama of the Ries and its inner and outer crater rims. The museum, trail and viewpoint each offer a different focus—from exhibits and multimedia to geological explanations and views of the crater landscape.

The History of Nördlingen

Nördlingen’s medieval town wall is completely intact and fully accessible. The town museum explores the lives and beliefs of Nördlingen’s residents, changes during the Reformation, the Thirty Years’ War and the 1634 Battle of Nördlingen. Its collection, which is over 150 years old, spans four floors. A model made of around 6,000 tin figures illustrates the 1634 battle.

Pilgrimage and Art in Wemding

The Maria Brünnlein pilgrimage basilica in Wemding is a Rococo church built between 1748 and 1782 to plans by Franz Joseph Roth, as the number of pilgrims increased. Its miraculous altar is designed as a fountain altar and incorporates the miraculous Virgin Mary by Johann Joseph Mayr, dating from 1755. The altar table with its fountain basin was created by Ernst Steinacker in 1953. Pope John Paul II elevated the basilica to a Basilica minor in 1998; around 150,000 pilgrims visit it each year.

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first decide on the main focus of your trip: Kaisheim’s pilgrimage routes and monastery history, or geology and history in the wider Donau-Ries area as well. This lets you begin your search with the topics that interest you most on your trip.

Discover more destinations: Monheim, Marxheim, Wallerstein, Ehingen Am Ries, Tapfheim, Rain, Oettingen In Bayern, Ries.

To the wider travel overview: Donau-Ries.