Germany is a country with a very long history, and sometimes that’s hard to put into perspective. Sure, I could sit here and tell you that the town of Pilsting in Lower Bavaria has been around from 4,000 B.C. — but that doesn’t mean much, does it?
That is, until, you’ve managed to see some of the archaeological finds. Pilsting’s Historical Society is full of information on the 177 graves that offered up bronze combs, belts, and buckles. In one Alemannic grave, from around the 7th century A.D., a lance, shield, and sword were found.
Today mostly everyone looks above ground, as opposed to what’s beneath. Actually, people look skyward because you’ll find quite a number of churches throughout Pilsting’s 13 districts.
One of the most popular to visit is Pilsting proper’s Gothic church from the 15th century. Yea, doesn’t sound very old when parts of Pilsting go back to the prehistoric; but in all fairness — the church is a few hundred years older than the building you’re looking at.
Let’s see… Another church in Pilsting that’s a must-see is St. Nicholas in Gosselding, a medieval church with Baroque finishings. St. George in Großköllnbach is in a medieval Romanesque design with Baroque embellishments. Leonberg’s church is a chance to see how a medieval tower and onion dome work well together.
The ones to really see are the Meadow Chapel (built 1648), the Heimkehrerkapelle zur Mutter Gottes im Moos (another chapel), and the Cemetery Chapel.
Not to discount them, but the rest of Pilsting’s churches are delights of Baroque and medieval, where Gothic meets gold. You could continue to see the rest of them, or you can take a guided hike through the region.
There are a few cycling trails for the truly adventurous (read: cycle trails not good for kids), but they’ll no doubt love the outdoor swimming pool that’s open May to September.
Kids might also like to see the medieval castle ruins, where they can pretend to be a Knight of the Round Table. Wait… isn’t that English history? And another website, altogether. ;-)
