Weil: Churches, Roman history and the Stone Age village

Weil is a municipality in the district of Landsberg am Lech in Upper Bavaria, east of Kaufering. Its history dates back to Roman times. Churches in Weil and its districts, as well as the prehistoric settlement in Pestenacker, bring the municipality’s diverse historical themes to life.

Landscape and orientation

Weil lies on the left bank of the Verlorener Bach and along State Road 2052. The municipality includes Beuerbach, Geretshausen, Pestenacker, Petzenhausen and Schwabhausen, among other places. Pestenacker lies right by the state road, about five kilometres north of Weil. This makes it easy to distinguish between the sights in the main village and those in the other places belonging to Weil.

The Weinberg rises southeast of Petzenhausen. At 602 metres, it is the highest point in the municipality; from there, you can enjoy wide-ranging views of the landscape and nearby church towers. In the western fields of Pestenacker lies the more than one-kilometre-wide valley basin of the Verlorener Bach and Loosbach. These landscape features offer different impressions of the area surrounding the municipality.

There are also various destinations for walks and cycling trips: cycling and hiking routes lead to small bathing lakes nearby. Other paths run through the Westerholz to the Naturfreundehaus. If you would like to explore the landscape, you can use these destinations as different points of reference when planning your trip.

Churches and architectural history

Weil is home to the parish church of St. Mauritius. It was preceded by the Rupertskapelle, which dates from the 9th century. The furnishings at St. Mauritius include life-size figures of the twelve apostles from the 18th century. The Wolfgangskapelle is also located on the western edge of Weil. Its brick Stations of the Cross were created in 1698 with the involvement of Lorenz Luidl.

The churches in the other places also offer specific points of reference for architectural history. In Pestenacker, the lower part of the tower of St. Ulrich dates from around 1400. In 1710, the tower was raised to its present height of 21 metres. The church features Wessobrunn stucco and two processional staffs from the 15th century with Late Gothic figures.

The parish church of St. Johann in Geretshausen has Baroque furnishings and a tower with a double onion dome. Near Beuerbach stands the Maria-Aich wooden chapel: the circular building, with a central floor plan, dates from 1686; an eastern extension was added in 1824. In Schwabhausen, the Late Gothic Leonhardskapelle, dating from 1478, is another historical point of interest. Petzenhausen’s Frauenkirche is one of the few choir-tower churches in the district of Landsberg am Lech.

Pestenacker: Neolithic archaeology

In Pestenacker, archaeologists excavated and studied a settlement of the Altheim culture. Since 27 June 2011, the prehistoric settlement has been part of the serial UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.” The Stone Age village of Pestenacker brings this history to life through vivid reconstructions and exhibits.

At the Stone Age village, visitors can see a Neolithic house with living quarters and a stable, reconstructed at full size. The visitor pavilion displays replicas of Neolithic pottery, tools, weapons and clothing worn by the settlers, and explains archaeological methods. A reconstructed living space and objects from different aspects of everyday life in that period are presented side by side.

The prehistoric bee houses at the Stone Age village offer further insights. They show how honey was harvested more than 5,500 years ago. Bread is regularly baked in the Stone Age clay oven there. Together, the reconstruction, exhibits and bee houses offer different ways to explore the history of Pestenacker’s settlement.

Discover more destinations: Penzing, Reichling, Dießen Am Ammersee, Igling, Windach, Rott, Fuchstal, Apfeldorf

For the regional travel overview: Landsberg Am Lech.