Baitenhausen: Pilgrimage Church, Hiking Trails and Bee Trail

Pilgrimage and Art in Baitenhausen

Baitenhausen combines a history of pilgrimage with several hiking and cycling routes. The Maria zum Berg Karmel pilgrimage church is located above Baitenhausen, a district of Meersburg, and was consecrated in 1704. From its location, views extend across the Salem Valley to Heiligenberg Castle and Gehrenberg. Traditional pilgrimage days are St Wendelin’s Day on 20 October and the Scapular Festival on the Sunday around 16 July.

The Baroque chapel on Baitenhausen’s Schlossberg was built in 1702, when chaplain J. G. Rodt erected it for a pilgrimage that had already existed since the late Middle Ages. The main altar of the pilgrimage church features a Gothic devotional image; its ceiling paintings are by J. W. Baumgartner. Pilgrimage traditions and artistic details alike shape the character of this historic place.

Hiking Trails and Routes

From the centre of Baitenhausen, the circular hiking trail follows Kirchweg past the cemetery and reaches the pilgrimage church on Schlossberg after 95 steps. Hiking Trail 5 runs from Grasbeuren via Schiggendorf and the Baitenhausen pilgrimage chapel to Mühlhofen and back to Grasbeuren.

The circular hike around the villages north of Meersburg leads from Meersburg to the Baroque chapel in Baitenhausen. It is 11 kilometres long, takes about three hours and includes 170 metres of ascent. The trail passes through vineyards and orchards and offers views of the Salem Valley, Lake Constance and the Alps. At the thermal borehole point, the loop joins the Way of St James. The route details differ: Hiking Trail 5 can be identified by its sequence of places, while the loop north of Meersburg also has a stated length, approximate duration and ascent.

Bee Trail and Cycling Tour

A signposted blossom trail was created in 2008 in the meadow adjoining the Baitenhausen teaching apiary. At the teaching apiary, the history of beekeeping is presented through historic beehives and occupied display hives. The blossom trail and the display hives offer two different perspectives on flowers and beekeeping.

The cycling tour “Scenic Cycle Tour through Beautiful Natural Landscapes” climbs to Baitenhausen and reaches the chapel via a signposted spur trail. On the forest section, the route passes the bee education trail.

Culture in the Wider Destination of Meersburg

The wider destination of Meersburg is home to cultural attractions in their own right. The New Palace in Meersburg was the Baroque residence of the Prince-Bishops of Constance. Its monumental staircase was designed based on a plan by Balthasar Neumann; the palace offers panoramic views across Lake Constance. The Fürstenhäusle in Meersburg is furnished authentically with Biedermeier-era furniture and offers insight into the life and work of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. The Bodenseekreis Gallery in the Red House, a Baroque palace opposite the New Palace, exhibits modern and contemporary art.

Discover more destinations: Eriskirch, Kressbronn on Lake Constance, Meersburg, Bermatingen, Frickingen, Markdorf, Owingen, Tettnang

To the wider travel overview: Lake Constance.