Places of interest
Altötting
(Field 12): For some 1200 years this
has been a major shrine of Mary and, for more than 500 years, a pilgrimage
center of European dimension with over a million pilgrims per year.
Several
votive offerings and works of art are a reminder of the close connection that
several popes have had with the ‘Bavarian National Shrine’.
An
oil painting in the pilgrimage and local heritage museum depicts Pope Pius VI as
he stayed at Altötting in 1782. The lamp studded with precious stones hanging
in the Gnadenkapelle (Chapel of Grace) ☺was
donated by Pope Pius IX.
Precious
chalices were donated by Pius IX, Pius X (who is depicted on the high altar of
St. Anne’s Pilgrimage Church – which, incidentally, was ‘immortalized’
by being raised to the rank of a papal basilica in 1913), as well as by Pius
XII. Pope Benedict XV bequeathed his golden pectoral cross to the Chapel of
Grace in 1927 and John Paul II’s visit in 1980 is commemorated by a life-size
bronze sculpture of him at the Congregation Hall, as well as by the linden tree
he planted on the path leading from the Chapel of Grace to the Pilgrimage
Basilica.
Ever
since his childhood, St. Peter’s present successor has been a great admirer of
the Mother of God at Altötting. In his introductory notes for the town’s
guide book, Joseph Ratzinger wrote in early 2005: “I was lucky enough to be
born very close to Altötting. Thus the pilgrimages I made to the Site of Grace
with my parents and my siblings are among my earliest and most beautiful
memories…” On the occasion of Benedict XVI’s inauguration to office in
Rome on April 25th, 2005, Altötting’s mayor presented him with a
replica of Altötting’s Lady of Grace, upon which the new pope expressed his
thanks with the words: “Altötting is the heart of Bavaria and one of the
hearts of Europe…”
Sights
of interest:
Chapel Square (Kapellplatz) with the
Chapel of Grace (Gnadenkapelle),
originally an octagon dating to around 700 and the ‘Black Madonna’, about
1300, the Abbey Church (Stiftskirche)
of 1511 with its treasury, the former Jesuit Church of St. Magdalena of 1700,
the Bruder Konrad Church with a reliquary of the saint (†1898), the Jerusalem
Panorama of Christ’s Crucifixion from 1903, the Pilgrimage and Local Heritage
Museum and a Diorama show.
Pilgrimage
and Tourist Information Office
Tel.
+49-8671-506219/38 www.altoetting.de
- also provides information about the Altötting pilgrimage weekend in the
footsteps of Pope Benedict XVI.
Neuötting
(Field 12): Founded by the Wittelsbach
rulers in the 13th c., this trading town crowns a rise above the
River Inn☺.
Sights of interest: The town square with townhouses and businesses constructed in the Inn-Salzach architectural style with covered arched passages, the gothic Town Parish Church of St. Nicolas, the Burghauser and Landshuter City Gate, the Pfennigturm, a former mint of Dukes of Landshut, the Town Museum, St. Anna’s Church from 1511 and the Hospice Church of the Holy Spirit (Hl. Geist) of around 1500.
Tourist
information / Stadtmuseum
Tel. +49-8671-882669
www.neuoetting.de
Marktl
am Inn
(Field K1-L1): This was a major
settlement at the time of commercial boat traffic on the River Inn and a
crossing point☺.
This market town is the birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI who was already given the freedom of the city in 1997 when he was a Curial Cardinal. At the northern end of the market square, one finds his birth house ☺marked by a commemorative plaque. The building dates back to 1748 and was formerly a customs house of the prince-electors. Benedict XVI was born here as the third child of Josef and Maria Ratzinger on April 16th, 1927. His sister Maria was born in 1921 and his brother Georg in 1924 – both in Pleiskirchen in the district of Altötting. Later Georg Ratzinger became music director at the cathedral of Regensburg and long-time conductor of the world-famous Regensburger Domspatzen singers. Their father held the position of commander at the Marktl gendarmerie from 1925 to 1929.
In
the neighboring Local Heritage Museum with its interesting folkloristic
collections, one finds the old baptismal font ☺
from St. Oswald
Parish Church, reconstructed in 1857. Josef Ratzinger was baptized on the same
day he was born, on Easter Saturday of the year 1927.
Other
sights of interest:
Bergham district with St. Nicolas Church from the early 15th c., the
nature reserves of Dachlwand and Alzmündung, the outlook point at Leonberg with
its little Church of St. Sebastian built in the late 16th c.
A
worthwhile excursion:
Shortly after the Inn bridge at Marktl, heading towards Burghausen, the cycling
trail forks to the left, via Berham, 3,5km to Niedergottsau/Gemeinde Haiming (Field
L2). The Pilgrimage and Village Church Maria Himmelfahrt, built late 15th
c., is the venue of a large annual festival of the local brotherhood Skapulierbruderschaft
and is worth a visit for its decoration, procession poles and votive paintings
of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Marktl
Tourist Information Center
Tel. +49-8678-988811
www.marktl.de
Hohenwart
(Field K3): Here we may visit the
Daughter Church St. Nicolas, dating from 1445, in late gothic style with a
winged altar made in 1510.
Burghausen
(Field K3) ☺:
An old ducal town on the River Salzach, it is known for its impressive fortress,
the longest in Europe. In the 15th c. the complex was heavily
fortified so that the dukes of Landshut could store their treasures here. This
is also where the Polish princess, Hedwig, resided after her magnificent wedding
with Duke Georg the Rich in 1475. The old town nestles cozily between the
fortress hill and the river and can boast a good example of well-preserved
medieval structures built in the Inn-Salzach style. Burghausen’s wealth was
based on centuries of salt trade on the river: today one can enjoy a boat ride
between Tittmoning and Burghausen on barges resembling those used for salt
transport in former times.
Sights
of interest:
The Fortress Complex with 6 courtyards and the Castle, the Fortress Chapel, the
historic Local Heritage Museum, the State Picture Gallery and Photo Museum, the
town square, various townhouses, government buildings and handicraft workshops
protected by the National Monument Society, the St. Jacob church of 1511, the
Church of the Holy Spirit of the 14th c. and the Institute Church of
the Maria Ward Sisters (Englische Fräulein) of 1746, the nature reserve of Wöhrsee
Lake with a beach.
Burghauser Touristik
Tel. +49-8677-887140
www.burghausen.de
Raitenhaslach (Field K4) where we find a Cistercian abbey founded in 1146, but secularized in 1803. Its splendid baroque church ☺ took on its present appearance in the years 1694 – 1698 on the occasion of the 600-year jubilee of the Order. This extensive monastic complex, along with its art treasures and its inn, is a pleasant spot to stop at. Not far away, you’ll find the steep flank of
Marienberg (Field K4) rising above the Salzach’s bank, upon which rises the rococo Pilgrimage Church Maria Himmelfahrt from the year 1764 ☺.
Tittmoning (Field J5-K5): Founded in the 13th c., this commercial town was ruled by Salzburg and has managed to preserve much of its original appearance, including an impressive fortress. The town became the Ratzinger family’s home from 1929 on and, in his second autobiography (1998), Joseph Ratzinger wrote “Tittmoning has remained the dreamland of my childhood. There is the large, even majestic, town square with its fine fountain; flanked by the Laufen and Burghausen Gates and surrounded by proud ancient townhouses, it is truly a square that would be honored by larger cities”. A few lines further he recalls “Most of all, however, we loved the lovely old baroque Abbey Church☺ that once belonged to the Augustinian canons…” The neighboring monastery buildings have meanwhile been cared for by the Maria Ward Sisters who run the kindergarten once again that Joseph attended up until 1932. The family lived in the so-called Stubenrauchhaus ☺ , a stately structure from the 17th – 18th centuries at Stadtplatz 39 (Sparkasse bank today). His brother Georg recounts an event that took place in 1930. When Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber arrived in Tittmoning on the occasion of a confirmation, he was also greeted by the flags of kindergarten children. Joseph Ratzinger was deeply impressed by the purple cassock of the Archbishop of Munich-Freising and remarked “I, too, will be a cardinal one day!” Among the Ratzinger children’s fondest memories are the walks with their mother to the Pilgrimage Church of Maria Brunn, idyllically set at Ponlachgraben. The last official visit of Curial Cardinal Ratzinger was in 1983 on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Augustinian Church.
Other
sights of interest:
The late gothic Parish and Abbey Church of St. Lorenz, the Town Hall, the Local
Heritage Museum at the fortress including a Tanning Museum and an extensive
collection of riflemen’s targets.
Städtisches Verkehrsamt
Tel. +49-8683-700710
www.tittmoning.de
Taching - Bei der am Benediktweg gelegenen kleinen Kirche St. Coloman bietet sich ein beeindruckender Blick über die von den Gletschern der letzten Eiszeit zurückgelassene Hügellandschaft und den darin eingebetteten Tachinger See, der sich nördlich unmittelbar an den bekannteren Waginger See anschließt und in die im Süden anschließenden Chiemgauer Berge.
Sights:
Ortsteil
Burg (westlich von Tengling) - früher Sitz bedeutender bayerischer
Adelsgeschlechter - mit ehemaliger Wallfahrtskirche Mariä Himmelfahrt (1532-41,
neugotische Ausstattung), Strandbäder Taching und Tengling mit flachem
Sandstrand.
Information: Touristinfo Tel. +49-8681-1444, www.taching.de
Waging
am See
(Field J8), known as the warmest
bathing lake in Upper Bavaria with pleasant swimming areas.
Sights of Interest: The market square with townhouses and the Parish Church of St Martin from 1612, the Bajuvarii (ancient Bavarians) Museum featuring archeological finds from the early Bajuvarii era (500 to 700 AD). Located on a hill to the southeast, the Maria Heimsuchung Church ☺can be found in the district of Mühlberg. Accessible via a former pilgrimage trail, it has been a pilgrimage site since 1670.
Tourist
Information
Tel. +49-8681-313
www.waging.de
Hufschlag (Field I9) on the outskirts of Traunstein. The pope’s parents, Josef and Maria Ratzinger bought an old farmhouse☺ here in 1933 at Eichenweg 19. Dating back to 1726 it boasted a meadow, an orchard, neighboring woodlands and a view of Chiemgau’s mountains and, once the renovation work was completed in 1937, it became a cozy home for the whole family: “After much wandering, we finally found our true home here, a place to which I often return happily in memory” Joseph Ratzinger wrote.
Naturally, those memories include family walks to the small nearby church of Ettendorf, the attractive Daughter Church Vitus and Anne. Dating back to the 15th c., it is the destination of the annual Easter ‘George Cavalcade’ and features the oldest functioning organ in Bavaria, from 1669.
Traunstein
(Field I9): This is the ‘father town’
of Pope Benedikt XVI☺
and is the commercial
and administrative center of the Chiemgau region. In his autobiography J.
Ratzinger recalls “With the move to Traunstein a new serious period began. But
a few days after arriving, school resumed and I attended the first year of the
humanistic college (at Rosenheimer Strasse
5, a music school today)… Here, as the base for the entire academic program,
Latin was taught rigorously and in depth, for which I have been grateful my
entire life. “
Two years later Joseph entered the archiepiscopal study seminar St. Michael’s ☺ at Wartberghöhe (Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse 6). The outbreak of WWII and its rapid escalation affected the studies: the boys’ seminar became a military hospital, forcing them to move to other buildings until, in 1943, those boarding school boys born in 1926 and 1927 were transferred to an anti-aircraft unit in the Munich area and the attendance at Maximilians-Gymnasium. The turmoil at the end of the war led him first to Burgenland in Austria, then to Munich and Traunstein, finally to be interned in US POW camps in Bad Aibling and in Ulm. His happy homecoming took place in early summer of 1945 and “the ensuing months of re-found freedom that we now learned to truly appreciate, are among the fondest memories of my life”. At the end of the year, Joseph Ratzinger moved to the seminary in Freising. After completion of their study years and their ordination to the priesthood, the Ratzinger brothers celebrated their First Mass☺ at Traunstein’s Parish Church of St. Oswald☺.
For
decades, they both remained associated with the Traunstein Seminary and often
spent days there together following the New Year’s feast, taking part in
excursions to Maria Eck, the seminarists’ former annual pilgrimage destination,
as well as to other beautiful places in the alpine foothills between the Rivers
Inn and Salzach.
Other
sights of interest:
The town square with its Lindl fountain and baroque Parish Church St. Oswald, the former Salt
Works in the district Au (a
construction dating from the salt pipeline between Bad Reichenhall and
Traunstein in 1617 – 1619) with its Salt Works Chapel from 1630 – 1631, the
Maria Verkündigung Church in the district of Haslach (parish seat since the 13th c. and former Parish
Church of Hufschlag), the Town and Toy Museum.
Worthwhile
excursions:
Maria
Eck
(Field H10) some 10km distance. Follow
the river Traun upstream along the Traun-Alz-Radweg
to Siegsdorf; at the end of town, take the steep road leading to the
Pilgrimage Church Maria Eck and to the Monastery of the Franciscan Minorites.
Höglwörth
(Field L10) can be reached from
Traunstein via Hufschlag and Lauter, continuing eastward along the Salinenweg
or Bodensee-Königssee-Radweg to Teisendorf. Höglwörth was formerly
an Augustinian College of Canons that boasts an artistically attractive 17th
c. church dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul and is located on a peninsula
overlooking a small lake (22km one-way).
Unterwössen
(Field G10): From Traunstein via
Siegsdorf, then along the Bodensee-Königsee-Radweg
to Bergen; from the end of town follow Achentalradweg
along the water southward via Marquarstein to the center of Unterwössen with
its Parish Church St. Martin from 1780 – 1783. Joseph Ratzinger often spent
his holidays here at Bischlhof of the Barmherzigen Schwestern (Sisters of Mercy)
and visited his student friend, Father Franz Niegel (30km each way).
Tourismusbüro im Stadtpark
Tel. +49-861-9869523
www.traunstein.de
Chieming
(Field G8) on Lake Chiemsee with its
beach and swimming pool ☺.
Sights of interest: The Parish Church Maria Himmelfahrt, largely in neo-Romanesque style dating to 1884 and three Roman votive stones, the former Castle of Neuenchieming, a Parish House from 1642 to 1965 located directly on the edge of the lake, complete with a tower and gardens.
Tourist
Information
Tel. +49-8664-988647
www.chieming.de
Keeping
to the cycling trail for 7km, we pass through Stöttham and the baroque
Pilgrimage Church of Ising – as well as the boarding school of Schloss Ising
– till we reach
Seebruck
(Field F8), formerly a road stop
called Bedaium with a river-crossing
and a small fort situated on the Roman road between Salzburg (Juvavum) and Augsburg (Augusta
Vindelicorum) and, today, a popular vacation spot.
Sights
of interest:
St. Thomas from 1474 – 1477 (a daughter church of the convent of
Frauenchiemsee, some remains of the fort’s walls☺
can be seen in its cemetery, the Roman museum.
Tourist
Information, Tel. +49-8667-7139
www.seeon-seebruck.de
Seeon (Field F7) with its Benedictine Monastery, idyllically located atop an island in the lake. Formerly a center of book illustrating and, at times, the richest monastery in Bavaria until its secularization in 1803, it now serves as a convention and seminar center for the Upper Bavarian District Government.
Sights
of interest:
Monastery complex including the Abbey Church St. Lampert ☺
(of Romanesque origin, featuring gothic arches and, following a fire, partly
rebuilt 1634 – 1653 in baroque style), the former Convent Buildings and the
Daughter Church St. Walburgis from 1470 with its Cemetery, Parish House, former
Dairy and Tithing House.
Worthwhile excursions: Impressively situated on a ridge above the confluence of the Traun and the Alz, the church and monastery of the former Augustinian College of Canons of Baumburg (Field G6) ☺ within the county of Altenmarkt a. d. Alz. St. Margareth’s Church goes back to the 11th c. and the present imposing structure was completed in 1758 (9km from Seeon along a signposted cycling trail).
Gstadt
am Chiemsee
(Field F8-F9) with its Daughter Church
St. Peter and St. Paul located on a high bank (15th c., baroque
renovation 1720). Boats depart from the dock for the islands Fraueninsel and
Herreninsel and back (bicycle depot).
Sights
of interest:
Frauenchiemsee
(Field F9)☺
The convent is said to have been founded in 765 at the same time as
Herrenchiemsee’s monastery by the Agilolfinger Duke Tassilo III. In 866 King
Ludwig the German’s daughter, Irmingard, was appointed abbess here. Born in (Alt)Ötting
she is still honored as a saint. The foundations of the historic Abbey Church
Maria Opferung and the neighboring Torhalle
(museum) from 860 date back to Carolingian times; the free-standing clock tower
(campanile) is a structure of the 10th to 11th centuries.
The present convent buildings were erected in 1729 – 1730. The entire island
village is of interest with its fishermen’s houses and vacation homes. The
cozy rooms of the old Inselwirt inn
feature paintings of the Chiemsee artists (starting mid 19th c.).
Herrenchiemsee
(Field E9). Today the stream of the
island’s visitors focuses mainly on ‘fairy-tale’ King Ludwig’s castle
built in 1878 which, along with an elegant park, was modeled on Versailles. The
so-called Altes Schloss (old castle),
built in 1130, was a major Augustinian College of Canons, as well as the seat of
the Bishopric of Chiemsee, founded by Salzburg. Demolition work carried out
during the secularization (with the later addition of a brewery) left only few
architectural remains of the Cathedral Abbey Church St. Sebastian and St. Sixtus
☺
constructed 1676 – 1678 in early baroque style. The abbey tracts, also
originally rebuilt in the 17th c. on older structures, became the
venue for an official convention in 1948 for the formulation of the constitution
of the Federal German Republic.
Worthwhile
excursions:
By following Chiemsee’s shoreline trail, we reach Rimsting
(Field D9), the birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI’s mother. It was
in the Parish Church St. Nicolas (here the 17th c. high altar was
assembled with sections of the secularized Cathedral Abbey Church at
Herrenchiemsee) that Georg and Joseph Ratzinger celebrated their post-ordination
in 1951. West of Rimsting we climb a quiet road up to a panoramic high ridge
(694m) called Ratzinger Höhe (Field
D9) ☺
to enjoy spectacular views of Lake Chiemsee, its islands and the Chiemgau
mountains (15km one-way).
Chiemsee-Infocenter
Felden
Tel. +49-8051-965550
www.chiemsee.de
Amerang
(Field D7), an old aristocratic seat
with a castle and castle chapel from 1513, well-known now for its master’s
concerts at Arkadenhof in summer.
Other
sights of interest:
The Parish Church St. Rupert (of gothic origin; 18th c. baroque
renovation)
☺, the Castle
Museum, the Eastern Upper Bavarian Farmhouse Museum with 15 historic buildings
and the Museum of German Automobile History.
Tourist
Information
Tel. +49-8075-919728
www.amerang.de
Wasserburg (Field C5) ☺, a charming, medieval trading town located on a bend of the River Inn. Wasserburg ist eine der geschichtsträchtigsten Städte Altbayerns, der Salzhandel blühte hier bis ins 19. Jahrhundert.
Sights
of interest:
Town Parish Church St. Jacob from the 15th c. with a splendid pulpit
(Zürn Brothers, 1638), the 14th c. Frauenkirche with a gothic
painting in the style of the Salzburg Madonnas, the Hallgrafen Castle (today a
retirement home), the late gothic Town Hall with its inn and large council hall,
noteworthy townhouses of the 15th and 16th centuries, the
First Imaginary Museum, the Town Museum,Trail Makers’ Museum, Bierkellermuseum,
Skulpturenweg.
Guest
Information
Tel. +49-8071-10522
www.wasserburg.de
Gars (Field C3-D3) featuring a stately monastery founded in the 8th c. Along with Au Monastery further downstream, it was donated to the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter’s in Salzburg. From 1122 till 1803 it served as an Augustinian College of Canons ☺ and, since 1855, run by the Redemptorists. It was, in fact, Joseph Ratzinger’s mother’s wish that he join this order. The Abbey and Parish Church Maria Himmelfahrt, built 1690 in sumptuous baroque style by Kaspar and Domenico Zuccali was once a pilgrimage church honoring St. Felix. It now honors the priest Kaspar Stanggassinger who died here at 28 years of age and who was beatified in 1988.
Town
Administration
Tel. +49-8073-9185-0
www.gars.de
Kloster Au (Field D3), featuring an impressive baroque church, formerly belonging to the Augustinian College of Canons of St. Mary☺. Built upon the former Benedictine Monastery Church from around the year 1000, it used to be a pilgrimage church dedicated to the relics of St. Felicitas and her seven sons. The convent buildings from the 17th c. are occupied by the Franciscan nuns today. As a child, Joseph Ratzinger took harmonium lessons here and his sister Maria attended the convent’s girls’ school. A rustic brewery inn from 1844 and its adjoining ‘biergarten’ are located in the courtyard.
We
continue another 5km along the state road toward Mühldorf before arriving at
Aschau a. Inn (Field D3-E3) ☺, where the Ratzinger family resided from December 1932 to the spring of 1937. “Shortly before Christmas,” J. Ratzinger wrote, “we moved into our new home at Aschau am Inn (note: Hauptstrasse 21), a wholesome farming village with large fine-looking farmhouses… In the center of town, as is customary in Bavaria, there was a state brewery featuring an inn where the men would meet on Sundays. Farm life still formed a strong symbiosis with church faith: birth and death, marriage and illness, sowing and reaping”. Joseph attended the public school in Aschau, received First Communion there☺ and, after his brother Georg entered the Traunstein Seminary in 1935, replaced him as server in the pretty Parish Church Maria Himmelfaht built 1430 in gothic style. At that time he was especially marked by the liturgy celebrated by the priest and church congregation on church feast days. But he was also forced to witness the changes that the village began to undergo due to the burgeoning National Socialist Party. It was obvious that the peasant population was not particularly interested in the trial marching exercises, or in the pseudo-religious ‘Germanic’ rites that were introduced.
Other
sights of interest:
The late gothic Church of St. Martin in the Fraham
district, the 13th c. Daughter Church St. Peter im Thal (Romanesque
tuff block structure) and the old granary of the Counts of Toerring.
Town
Administration
Tel. +49-8638-9435-0
www.aschau-a-inn.de
Mühldorf (Field G1-G2) ☺. Already in Roman times this was an important river crossing. In the 10th c. it came under Salzburg’s rule and, thanks to its importance as a trading center for boat traffic and as a salt depot, the town received its town charter in 1350. Up until 1802 Mühldorf remained an enclave of Salzburg’s powerful prince-bishops and was viewed as a ‘thorn’ in Bavaria’s side. The half-kilometer-long, rectangular town square features townhouses constructed in the typical Inn-Salzach style and lies at the heart of numerous notable sights.
Sights
of interest:
The 15th c. baroque Town Parish Church St. Nicolas with St. John’s
Chapel and a 16th c. courtyard, the town hall with its Renaissance
Council Hall, the medieval Smokehouse and ‘Witches Chamber’, the Local
Heritage Museum at Lodronhaus, the
Munich Gate with its tower, the Cultural Center in the historic Haberkasten
and the Inn boat excursions.
Verkehrs- und Kulturbüro
Tel. +49-8631-612226
www.muehldorf.de
Tüßling (Field H2), featuring a 14th c. street market and its castle from 1583.
Sights
of interest:
The Parish Church St. Georg from 1725 – 1726, the Parish Church St. Rupert in
Burgkirchen am Wald dating to the 15th c. with a high altar from 1750
– 1760 and the brewery museum at ‘Bräu im Moos’.