Hergatz: Pilgrimage Churches and Moorland
Accommodation in Hergatz
Churches, pilgrimage history and moorland shape the character of Hergatz. The wider region also offers Lake Constance and the Alps as starting points for a range of activities. The area’s history and natural surroundings can be explored with a variety of interests in mind.
File: Hergatz - Schwarzenberg, Wangen i A v S 02.jpg
Photo: Flodur63 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Churches and pilgrimage history
In Wohmbrechts, St. George’s Parish Church has a striking tower dating back to the age of knights. In the centre of the village of Maria-Thann, the Baroque Parish and Pilgrimage Church of Our Lady stands on a hill. Pilgrimages to the church were already taking place in the 16th century. The history of the Marian pilgrimage site in Maria Thann also reaches back to that time: it is rooted in a legend from the early 16th century. These two historical details highlight different aspects: early pilgrimages on the one hand, and the legend associated with the place on the other.
Another distinctive architectural detail can be found at the Marian pilgrimage church in Itzlings: it has a bell dating from 1436. A 2025 report also notes that, as part of the deanery pilgrimage, many women and men had been making pilgrimages to the Church of the Assumption in Maria Thann for 50 years. Hergatz’s cultural history thus brings together individual buildings and a pilgrimage tradition documented over several decades.
Degermoos and the regional landscape
The Degermoos nature reserve covers around 70.5 hectares and is located in the municipalities of Hergensweiler and Hergatz in the district of Lindau (Lake Constance). Its habitats include raised and transitional bog areas, bog woodland and adjoining litter meadows. These terms give a sense of the variety of this protected landscape: bog, woodland and meadows together shape the area. For nature lovers, Degermoos offers a focus in its own right alongside the churches and pilgrimage sites.
Seasonal activities in the wider area
In summer, visitors looking for places to swim will find plenty of options on Lake Constance in the wider region. In autumn, the nearby Alps invite visitors to go on hikes and climb mountains. Meadows, moors and nearby Lake Constance also provide the setting for longer hikes and cycling tours. There are several ways to shape your holiday: water activities in summer, Alpine excursions in autumn, or longer hikes and cycling tours through the wider landscape. These suggestions relate to the surrounding region and complement Hergatz’s local cultural and natural attractions.
A distinctive cultural highlight in Lindau
The wider destination of Lindau adds the history of the island and its buildings. The Thieves’ Tower on Lindau Island was built in 1380 and for a long time marked the western end of the town’s fortifications. Lindau’s New Lighthouse is 33 metres high and can be reached by climbing 139 steps. The two buildings offer different historical points of interest: the Thieves’ Tower is notable for its former role in the town’s fortifications, while the lighthouse’s height and number of steps provide specific details.
Choose the focus of your holiday in a holiday apartment
When looking for a holiday apartment in Hergatz, it helps to weigh up your interests. If you would like to focus mainly on churches, pilgrimage history and the moorland, the local attractions offer a clear direction. If your plans are shaped more by swimming opportunities in summer or mountain hikes in autumn, include the wider region in your considerations. This way, your choice reflects the kind of holiday you have in mind rather than a single attraction.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Wasserburg, Stiefenhofen, Nonnenhorn, Lindau, Lindenberg im Allgäu, Opfenbach, Weiler-Simmerberg, Bodolz
Return to the main travel overview: Lindau.
