Oberdolling: Cycling Route and Church Art

Oberdolling combines a direct connection to a cycling route with remarkable church art. A stone image in St. George’s Church tells of an early tradition; the Catholic branch church of St. Margaret in Weißendorf features Romanesque architectural forms and sculptures. Another highlight is D’Roßschwemm, the municipality’s club and events centre on the Schambachtal Cycle Path. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can decide whether cycling, historical depictions or Romanesque architecture should be the focus of your stay.

Cycling routes and regional tour planning

D’Roßschwemm is right on the Schambachtal Cycle Path. In the wider region, the Schambachtalbahn Cycle Path runs through the Schambach Valley, away from road traffic and past river floodplains, meadows and forests. The route is family-friendly, almost completely flat and close to nature. It connects Ingolstadt with Riedenburg and links the Danube Cycle Path with the Altmühltal Cycle Path. This offers a broad perspective for planning: the local connection leads to the Schambachtal Cycle Path, while the regional route links towns and two cycle paths. Its landscape and almost flat terrain may appeal to families wishing to include a nature-oriented cycling tour in their trip.

A stone image and Romanesque architecture

The stone image in St. George’s Church depicts the priest Eigilo symbolically handing over a church to the Bishop of Freising. It recalls the transfer of Kirchendolling to the Bishop of Freising, which, according to tradition, is said to have taken place in 825. The image probably dates from the 13th century. The traditional account and the likely date of the artwork thus represent two different periods.

The Catholic branch church of St. Margaret is in Weißendorf, within the municipality of Oberdolling. It is a single-nave building with a recessed semicircular apse, a gabled roof and a roof turret. Its construction is tentatively dated to 1171/75; it was remodelled in the Baroque style in 1723. The Romanesque gallery rests on cross vaults and two columns whose capitals are decorated with depictions of animals and people. A round-arched frieze of human and animal heads runs along the apse. The west portal opens between buttresses, is flanked by two guardian lions and is surrounded by an interlace motif.

Several Romanesque sculptures can also be found inside: a half-figure of the “builder responsible for the construction costs” between the gallery and the left wall of the nave, two men’s heads above the chancel arch, and a seated man on the cornice on the right side of the apse. As a seasonal guide, the church is accessible as far as the barrier in summer and closed in winter. Check before your visit whether this arrangement is still in place.

Culture in the wider Eichstätt destination

The wider Eichstätt destination has its own focus on natural history and architectural heritage. The Jura Museum Eichstätt focuses on fossils from the Solnhofen limestone slabs and displays the original Eichstätt specimen of Archaeopteryx. The Willibaldsburg was built in 1355 by Bishop Berthold, Burgrave of Zollern, and served as the bishop’s residence until 1725. The 420-metre-long castle still has its walls and bastions, the arsenal, the 63-metre-long gate hall and the Gemmingen building with its two towers.

In the 1,500 m² bastion garden, the Hortus Eystettensis, destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, was brought back to life after 400 years; visitors can discover many of its original plant species there. Cathedral Square lies on the oldest settled ground in the city of Eichstätt. Food is also part of what the city has to offer: several times a year, Eichstätt’s participating restaurants serve special dishes under the motto “Eichstätt cooks...”, including spicy Altmühltal lamb dishes. The Eichstätt Fossil Trail is a moderately difficult, 9 km circular route suitable for families.

Discover more destinations: Großmehring, Mindelstetten, Lenting, Altmannstein, Böhmfeld, Kinding, Mörnsheim, Titting

Go to the wider travel overview: Eichstätt.