Nestled in the German countryside between Munich and Augsburg, Fürstenfeldbruck’s name gives a hint of what you can expect to find on your visit. Situated on the Amper River, it is literally “The Bridge of Fürstenfeld Abbey.”
The Abbey was founded in 1266 by Ludwig II, Duke of Bavaria. It was said he founded the monastery as penance for killing his first wife. In 1265 a new abbey building was constructed for Cistercian monks after the original monastic building were moved to their present site outside the town of Bruck.
In the late 17th Century a beautiful baroque church was begun under the direction of the Munich court architect and master builder, Giovanni Antonion Viscardi.
The Fürstenfeldbruck monastery buildings remain today, thanks in large part to the townspeople who wouldn’t allow their demolition in 1803 by the first private owner. In 1816 the church became the property of the king of Bavaria.
Since that time the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary has been a royal church. The monastery buildings themselves are now a cultural center for the district.
Other sights you can visit here include a 14th century mill now housing the town’s library and the Pilgrim Church of St. Leonhard, the patron saint of horses and farm animals. Every 6th November the townspeople gather near the church with horse-drawn carts and carriages and hold a service of blessing before forming a procession that slowly moves around the church.
When you’re tired of walking you won’t have any trouble finding places to sit and admire the town’s architecture or watch the river flow by as you sip a cup of European coffee or enjoy a stein of German beer. Like most places in Bavaria modern Fürstenfeldbruck knows the value of good food and drink.
At only 40 minutes outside the center of Munich, Fürstenfeldbruck is a town worth visiting on your vacation.
