Sankt Georgen bei Grieskirchen: Hiking and Brick Gothic

Sankt Georgen bei Grieskirchen can be explored from two specific perspectives: hiking while taking in the landscape of the Trattnachtal valley, and learning about the town’s history, which encompasses its church, place name and castle complex. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you would rather experience the landscape on foot or explore the town’s historical connections.

Hiking and the landscape of the Trattnachtal valley

The Teufelsgrabenweg, route number 45, leads from Gallspach to Sankt Georgen bei Grieskirchen. Gallspach is the starting point and Sankt Georgen the destination; the route can be viewed as a hiking connection to the town. If the direction of a hike matters when you are choosing a route, this connection provides a specific point of reference.

The Sankt Georgener Allee – Mostobstbaumallee offers a different highlight: while hiking, it opens up views of the hilly landscape of the Trattnachtal valley. The avenue is therefore all about the views, while the Teufelsgrabenweg connects Gallspach and Sankt Georgen. This lets you distinguish between hiking interests according to whether the route’s destination or views of the hilly landscape matter more to you.

Church and local history

The parish church of St. Georgen bei Grieskirchen is an unusually tall brick building in the style of North German Brick Gothic. Brick Gothic is a Gothic architectural style in which brick is the defining building material; the North German designation further specifies the style. The building’s construction and style can therefore be understood as two distinct features, alongside its unusual height. The town’s name also derives from the parish church: Sankt Georgen refers to the choice of Saint George as the church’s patron saint. The parish church was founded by the Jörger family around 1255.

Another event in the history of the church concerns the castle chapel of St. Georgen: in 1357, Helmhard VI Jörger elevated it to the status of a parish church. The founding of the parish church, dated to around 1255, and the elevation of the castle chapel refer to different events; the dates therefore mark separate points in history.

The castle complex has its own history of names. Around 1350, the name Steinbach for the complex presumably fell into disuse; the name “Burgstall Schwabegg” came to be used for the castle, which was presumably already in a state of disrepair. Between 1411 and 1418, Wolfgang I Jörger received the “Burckstall zu Swabegk” as a fief from Duke Albrecht V. The castle complex therefore presents two distinct historical aspects: the presumed development of its name and its later feudal relationship.

The church and the castle represent different historical perspectives: the former, architectural style and ecclesiastical development; the latter, the history of its name and its feudal relationship.

A place for recreation in town

There is a funcourt next to the playground in Sankt Georgen, where people play regularly. Anyone interested in recreational activities in the town will find a specific place to visit here.

Discover more destinations: Wallern An Der Trattnach, Aistersheim, Heiligenberg, Sölden An Der Straß, Sankt Thomas bei Waizenkirchen, Gallspach, Taufkirchen an der Trattnach, Wendling.

For the broader travel overview: Grieskirchen.