Weilheim in Oberbayern: Churches, Art and Nature

Weilheim in Oberbayern combines notable buildings and art in public spaces with paths through the Hardt landscape. This gives you a range of options for planning your trip: explore churches and the museum collection, discover the sculpture trail as an art and nature experience, or take in routes and landscapes around the town.

Churches and Town History

The parish church of Mariae Himmelfahrt stands on Marienplatz in the centre of Weilheim. Built from 1624 to 1628 to plans by Hans Krumpper in the early Baroque style, it is one of the largest architectural monuments in the Pfaffenwinkel. Its construction period, architect and style give the building a distinct place in the region’s architectural history. At Betberg, the cemetery church of St. Salvator and St. Sebastian recalls a different chapter in the town’s history: it was built in 1449 on a former plague cemetery on what was then the outskirts of town.

Founded in 1882, the Weilheim Town Museum is one of Bavaria’s oldest municipal museums. Its collection includes sculptures dating from the 15th century onwards, paintings, furniture, decorative arts, and religious artefacts. A particular focus is the work of the Weilheim School of Sculpture. The town’s art history can thus be explored not only through its buildings, but also through a range of different objects.

Art in Public Spaces and Along Trails

The sculpture trail leads from Weilheim’s town centre into the Au and brings together art and nature as an audio experience. You can access audio features, videos and photos about the artworks using the free Actionbound app. The app-based tour takes about an hour and can be adapted to suit your plans. It offers a compact way to combine a look at the artworks with a walk from the centre into the Au.

Another self-guided activity is the interactive town rally, “Who Will Save the Golden Chalice?” It takes you through Weilheim’s town centre using the free Actionbound app. A well-preserved section of the old town wall is also part of the town’s scenery: a large mural on Pöltnerstraße indicates where the former Pöltner Gate stood. The rally and the wall section offer different perspectives—an interactive exploration in one case, and a visible reminder of the town’s former layout in the other.

The Au, the Hardt and Routes Nearby

The Au is just a few steps from Weilheim’s centre. Ponds, a barefoot path and Kneipp pools shape the area’s offerings for nature, exercise and relaxation. If you want to explore beyond the town, the extensive Hardt loop is a route that runs for long stretches through the Hardt landscape. It includes raised and fen bogs, dry grassland and species-rich hay meadows, as well as extensive woodland.

The Hardt is home to the European adder. In June and July, red-violet marsh gladioli bloom there; both species are considered highly endangered. The time of year is therefore an important consideration if you are particularly interested in seeing the flowers. For views, the Gögerl loop starts at Gögerl and offers viewpoints and a mountain panorama. The Chapel Loop, meanwhile, runs east from Weilheim’s town centre towards the Hardt landscapes, then returns to Weilheim via Haunshofen and Wielenbach. Along the way, you can discover small and large churches and chapels.

Markets and Recurring Events

A market is held on Marienplatz every Tuesday and Friday from 08:00 to 13:00. It offers regional produce, Mediterranean specialities, tropical fruits, organic products, cheese, fish and seafood. The set days and times make it easy to plan a market visit separately from walks and cultural stops.

The events calendar includes the light art festival, held every two years in Weilheim’s town centre with internationally renowned artists, as well as the annual French Week over the extended first weekend in July. The exact dates of French Week may vary, so check them if you want to plan your trip around the event. Alongside enduring landmarks and landscapes, recurring cultural events can also provide reasons to visit.

Discover more destinations: Huglfing, Raisting, Wessobrunn, Schongau, Oberhausen, Pähl, Wielenbach, Peißenberg.

Back to the regional travel overview: Weilheim-Schongau.