Meßkirch: History and Nature

Meßkirch’s castle, churches, museums and the Felsentäle each offer a different focus. For your trip planning, you can explore the town through its architectural history, museums and landscape. The places and topics range from the historic castle to a geologically distinctive valley.

Meßkirch Castle and its museums

Meßkirch Castle is considered the earliest four-wing complex north of the Alps. Its coach house is home to the vintage car museum. A museum in the east wing explores the life and work of philosopher Martin Heidegger. The castle thus brings together architectural history and two distinct museum themes. If you are planning a museum visit, check the current visitor regulations in advance.

Meßkirch’s Municipal Local History Museum also has its own historic location: it is housed in the Unterer Hof. So, when planning your visits by exhibition location, be sure not to confuse Meßkirch Castle with the Unterer Hof.

Churches and historic houses

The parish church of St. Martin was built in the Gothic style in 1526 and remodelled in the Baroque style from 1769 to 1773. It is considered the last major church in Upper Swabia dating from the late Rococo period. Inside is an altarpiece by the Master of Meßkirch. The building’s different phases and the altarpiece offer distinct perspectives: on changes in architecture and on art in the church interior.

Two dates should be distinguished in the case of the Liebfrauenkirche: it has been mentioned since 1272, while its Gothic structure dates from 1356. The Mesmerhaus, meanwhile, is the childhood home of philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976). Together with the museum in the east wing of Meßkirch Castle, it offers another point of interest for travellers keen to learn about Heidegger’s life and work.

Hofgarten and the Felsentäle

Around 1740, the Hofgarten was laid out as a French-style castle park with 300 lime trees. Its date of creation, design concept and stated number of trees make it a subject in its own right alongside the town’s buildings. As you explore Meßkirch, you can distinguish the history of the park from the architectural history of the castle and churches.

The Felsentäle in Meßkirch has caves, ravines and streams. It is a limestone reef of the White Jurassic, formed in the Jurassic Sea around 140 million years ago. This site thus brings together distinctive landscape features and a geological history reaching far back in time. The contrast between buildings and nature offers two different perspectives on Meßkirch, with neither taking the place of a visit to the other.

Campus Galli and how to get there

The Campus Galli monastery construction site is located outside Meßkirch, nearby. A monastery is being built there based on the Plan of St. Gall, using ninth-century methods, with craftspeople and volunteers taking part. The project offers a different focus from Meßkirch’s historic buildings: here, the emphasis is on putting a monastery plan into practice using the methods of the time.

The Meßkirch–Rohrdorf–Campus Galli cycle path runs from Meßkirch town centre to the Campus Galli excursion destination and is 5.21 km long. For bus connections, the Regio 600 runs hourly between Meßkirch and nearby Campus Galli. If you plan to use this bus service, check the current timetable before travelling. The cycle path details and hourly bus service describe different ways to include Meßkirch and the nearby project in your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Ostrach, Sauldorf, Pfullendorf, Inzigkofen, Herdwangen-Schönach, Beuron, Veringenstadt, Schwenningen

For the overarching travel guide: Sigmaringen.