In a nice pocket halfway between the vibrant cities of Munich and Ingolstadt in Upper Bavaria, you’ll find the lovely little town of Reichertshausen. Besides its numerous biking trails, Reichertshausen has its own castle and plenty of churches, not to mention all the little gems surrounding it.
All of this is great, but c’mon, we’re talking about Bavaria here — so it’s full of great festivals and cultural events. Carnival is a really big deal around here, but then again, so is the Advent with all kinds of seasonal celebrations including a Christmas Market at the end of November.
In keeping with the whole religious theme, it reminds me of all of Reichertshausen’s great old churches. You’ll find these architectural wonders throughout the town’s handful of villages — like the tiny chapel found on Bärnhausener Straße. Lovers of the Middle Ages will appreciate the Church of St. Martin, originally built as a Romanesque church. So what if it saw a few different overhauls in later centuries.
As for the medieval, the nearby Schloss Jetzendorf certainly qualifies as a true castle from the Middle Ages. One stood here back in the 9th century, although the original parts that still stand from that time period didn’t come until much later — like the 12th and 13th centuries.
The oldest parts of Reichertshausen’s own moated castle go all the way back to the 11th century, making it just about a thousand years old. You’d never guess it from its 16th century, late-Gothic design these days.
Another medieval wonder would be the nearby Kloster Ilmmünster — but this old church also saw quite a few renovations in the 11th, 15th, and 18th centuries respectively. Oh, and the Kloster Scheyern, once a Benedictine Abbey, is also a must-see from the Middle Ages. Uhh, make that a must-see from the Baroque period since it had to be rebuilt after the Thirty Years’ War.
Here I go from Reichertshausen’s churches to its castles back to its churches — almost done though, just a couple more. So, I’ll quickly tell you about the Church of St. Michael’s beautiful onion dome, the Pfarrkirche St. Anna in the village of Steinkirchen (built 1850), and the Chapel of St. Mary (18th century).
Old churches might not do it for everyone, so for other people, come on over to the Town Square with its fountain and Rathaus (Town Hall). Don’t be fooled by its 20th century modernity, this area has been the center for community life for centuries.
Wouldn’t it be nice to stick around here for that long? ;-)
