Life certainly is getting better in the “diet” department. Every time I’ve encountered a “diet” town, each is just as lovely as the last — which is why I’m not surprised that I loved the Upper Bavarian town of Dietramszell so much right on first sight.
OK, it didn’t hurt Dietramszell lies within the outstanding Tölzer Land either.
First things first, though. As much as Upper Bavaria is famous for its outstanding countryside, the town of Dietramszell is most noted for its Kloster Dietramszell. This once Augustinian monastery has been around for a thousand years, although you’d never know it from its Heavenly Klosterkirche (Monastery Church) with all its Baroque paintings, side chapels, and tons of marble.
That’s some start, isn’t it? It’s hard to top something so breathtaking — but the panoramic view of the Alps in the distance is equal in grandeur. Consider this a good time to take a hike through the Zeller Wald to see what I’m talking about.
And as for Heavenly, the Way of St. James comes right on through here, too.
For those of you a little more ambitious, you can tackle the two marked cycling routes — all right, maybe they’re not too ambitious, they’re only 16 and 30 km respectively.
Visitors to Dietramszell can keep the whole Heavenly theme going by visiting any one (or all) of the town’s churches. Hey, with sixty municipalities there are just about as many churches. The Pilgrimage Church of Maria Elend is a great start — and even though the name translates to Maria Misery, miserable is something you won’t be or feel.
I really like the Chapel of St. George, too. What’s not to love about a 16th/17th century chapel, especially when you’re here for the Georgiritt on Easter Monday. The horses are brightly decorated, with the festivities kicking off at 1pm.
Between church visits you’ll find the rest of Dietramszell to be charming rural villages of little farmhouses, surrounded by the greenest scenery within the Zellbachtal.
If this is what a diet can be — then I’ll have a second helping of Dietramszell any day of the week. ;-)
