Vilsheim – Auenweg and Pilgrimage Church

The Vilsauen Trail along the Kleine Vils

The Vilsauen Trail follows Pfarrweg into the nearby floodplains along the upper reaches of the Kleine Vils. The trail and landscape are clearly connected: the route leads into the floodplains and takes in views of the river. The listed details for planning your outing are a length of 8.1 kilometres, a walking time of about 2 hours and 5 minutes, and 50 metres of ascent and descent. The walking time helps you estimate how long to allow; the length and elevation gain round out the picture with the route’s distance and elevation profile.

One of the notable stops is the small hall church of St. Nicholas. The trail passes the church and a resting bench; after the church, it descends gently back towards the Kleine Vils. The floodplains and river form one side of the walk, while the church and bench form another. If you like to plan a route around its landscape and individual landmarks, you’ll find specific points of reference here to help fit the walk into your day.

A pilgrimage church with a distinctive floor plan

St. Maria von Einsiedeln in Münchsdorf was built as a pilgrimage church at the end of the 17th century. Its unusual circular floor plan sets it apart architecturally from a typical hall church. This offers a distinct way into the history of the place: the church’s character is shaped not only by when it was built, but also by its special floor plan.

Another chapter dates back to 1707. At that time, Borgia Plankh had the image of the Virgin Mary known as “Maria Einsiedeln”, venerated by numerous pilgrims, transferred from the castle chapel to the church chapel he had built. The date, the image’s name and its veneration are all connected, giving the pilgrimage church a specific historical story. Anyone interested in the religious history of the area can consider the building’s design and the transfer of the image as two distinct aspects: the unusual architecture on the one hand, and the story of the venerated image on the other.

Walking destinations in the wider travel destination

The wider Landshut travel destination also offers trails on a different scale. The Landshut Heights Trail is around 50 kilometres long and runs through the gentle hills of Lower Bavaria. The Time Trails are themed routes through the Isar, Vils and Laaber valleys. By comparison, the Vilsauen Trail is a much shorter route at 8.1 kilometres. The Vilsauen Trail runs for 8.1 kilometres through the floodplains of the Kleine Vils; the roughly 50-kilometre Heights Trail and the themed Time Trails are part of the wider Landshut travel destination.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Vilsheim, your planned focus may be the deciding factor: if the walk through the floodplains is your priority, the route length and listed walking time are concrete details to help with your planning. If you are especially interested in the pilgrimage church, its circular floor plan and the history of the image offer another reason to explore the area.

Discover more destinations: Altfraunhofen, Gerzen, Buch Am Erlbach, Neufahrn in Niederbayern, Bodenkirchen, Essenbach, Obersüßbach, Wörth An Der Isar.

Back to the wider travel overview: Landshut.