Pfaffenwinkel: Pilgrimage Routes, Churches and Art
Accommodation in Pfaffenwinkel
Pfaffenwinkel lies between the Lech, Ammer and Loisach rivers, south of Lake Starnberg. Multi-day pilgrimage routes, significant churches, literary landmarks and art in nature offer different ways to explore the region. When choosing a holiday apartment, it is worth first considering which of these interests will shape your trip: longer routes, individual cultural destinations or a mix of both.
Pilgrimage routes with different distances
Three multi-day pilgrimage routes into Pfaffenwinkel start from Hoher Peißenberg. Each of the three pilgrimage routes of Heilige Landschaft Pfaffenwinkel is between 12 and 26 kilometres long. A longer-stage route is the northern loop of the pilgrimage trail: it is 96 kilometres long, runs over seven stages and connects Hoher Peißenberg with the monasteries of Wessobrunn, Andechs and Polling. This gives you the lengths of the three routes, as well as the total distance and number of stages on the northern loop, to help plan your hike. The Paterzell Yew Path is also one of the hiking destinations in Pfaffenwinkel.
Churches from the Romanesque period to a World Heritage Site
The Basilica of St. Michael stands in Altenstadt. It was built in the last quarter of the 12th century and is the first fully vaulted Late Romanesque church in Bavaria. The Wieskirche is in Steingaden and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. It welcomes visitors to church services and summer concerts, as well as for quiet prayer and contemplation. These offer different religious and cultural interests side by side: the history of Late Romanesque architecture in Altenstadt and the World Heritage Site in Steingaden, with its named religious and cultural uses.
Literary landmarks and art in Polling
Polling brings together two distinctive cultural attractions. The Doktor Faustus Trail passes several locations featured in Thomas Mann’s novel “Doctor Faustus.” STOA169 is also located in Polling: a colonnade in nature near the Ammer, created by internationally renowned artists and comprising 121 columns. The literary trail and the colonnade offer different experiences; both provide a specific starting point for travellers wishing to include Polling in their cultural itinerary.
The history of technology in Raisting
Personal guided tours of the Raisting Earth Satellite Station explain the functions of the antennas, how they establish contact with satellites, and the history of what was once the largest ground station and its heritage-listed radome. The focus here is on technical subjects and the history of the facility. Check whether tours are available before your trip if you would like to include this stop in your itinerary.
Choose the right focus for your accommodation search
To choose a holiday apartment, you can first decide which destinations you want your trip to focus on: the pilgrimage routes from Hoher Peißenberg, the churches in Altenstadt and Steingaden, the literary and art attractions in Polling, or the guided tours of the Raisting Earth Satellite Station. Base your choice of location on this focus, then decide which destinations you would like to make the centrepiece of your trip.
Discover more destinations: Ammersee, Weilheim-Schongau, Miltenberg, Straubing-Bogen, Rhön-Grabfeld, Kempten, Franconian Wine Country, Kitzingen.
See the overarching travel overview: Bavaria.
