Winterrieden: St. Martin, Pilgrimage Route and Maypole

Winterrieden combines the architectural and artistic history of St. Martin’s parish church with a section of the Way of St. James that passes through the town. The award-winning maypole is also part of the local scene. These features give you concrete points of interest for planning your trip: sacred art, a pilgrimage route and a local landmark. When planning your hotel stay, it may help to decide whether to focus mainly on the church, the route or the wider destination of Unterallgäu.

St. Martin: Architectural History and Art

St. Martin’s parish church in Winterrieden was remodelled between 1751 and 1755. Its ceiling paintings date from 1753 and are the work of Kempten court painter Franz Georg Hermann. The stucco decoration by Johann Georg Wirth was also created in 1753. Ceiling painting and stucco are two different forms of decoration: painted images on the one hand and sculpted ornament on the other. The high altar painting is a work by Franz Georg Herrmann from around 1753 and has been preserved to this day. The interior thus includes works dated 1753 and a surviving altar painting dated to approximately the same period.

Another local highlight is the maypole in Winterrieden. It received an award and was chosen as the most beautiful in Unterallgäu. Alongside the sacred art in the parish church, it offers another distinctive point of interest for visitors to the town.

The Way of St. James through Winterrieden

The Way of St. James passes through Winterrieden. At the entrance to the town, the route follows Kerkerweg to Hauptstraße, then heads towards the church and continues along Hauptstraße in the direction of Reichau. The streets and directions listed describe the route through the town. If you plan to walk it, check the local waymarking before setting off.

Unterallgäu as the Wider Destination

The wider destination of Unterallgäu is naturally bounded by the Iller to the west and the Wertach to the east. The A7 and A96 motorways help make Unterallgäu accessible; an extensive road network, rail connections and Allgäu Airport in Memmingerberg add to the region’s transport links. Travel conditions can change, so check the relevant connections for your trip.

The cultural attractions in Unterallgäu also offer a range of experiences. The region’s notable architectural monuments include the Baroque basilica in Ottobeuren and Mindelburg Castle in Mindelheim. The Fugger Castle in Kirchheim features the world-famous Cedar Hall, while the former Imperial Charterhouse in Buxheim is known for its choir stalls. The wider destination thus brings together sacred architecture, castle history and monastic heritage as distinct cultural themes.

Unterallgäu also offers a variety of nature and woodland attractions. Benninger Ried is easy to explore on foot and has its own educational trail and an observation platform. The forest adventure trails vary in length and design: the 3.2-kilometre trail in Bad Grönenbach introduces visitors to the forest ecosystem. The 2.7-kilometre trail in Buxheim loops around Buxheimer Weiher and is intended to let visitors experience nature with all their senses. In the Bannwald forest in Ottobeuren, eleven stations lead along the forest adventure trail. Cycling and hiking routes throughout the district are uniformly signposted; the Glückswege trails are also located in Unterallgäu.

Discover more destinations: Türkheim, Kirchheim in Schwaben, Tussenhausen, Stetten, Westerheim, Bad Grönenbach, Bad Wörishofen, Dirlewang

See the overview of the wider destination: Unterallgäu.