Discover Vilshofen an der Donau

Vilshofen an der Donau offers a range of highlights for a stay: town history around the town square, art along the Danube promenade, and tours connecting the town with other places.

Town History and Joseph Groll

A walk around the town square brings Vilshofen’s more than 1,200-year history to life through monuments and architectural details. On guided town tours, you can explore the birthplace of writer Heinrich Lautensack and learn stories and legends about the brewer Josef Groll and Knight Tuschl. Requests and bookings for the tours are handled by email or phone through the Vilshofen an der Donau Tourist Information Office. Confirm the contact and booking arrangements directly with them, as they may change.

A special highlight is the town walk “In the Footsteps of Pilsner Inventor Joseph Groll.” Complementing the BierUnterwelten, it includes eight stops and leads, among other places, through the old town to Groll’s birthplace and house where he died, his first home of his own in the Vilsvorstadt, and the Groll Chapel in the Kreppe. If you plan to take the walk, check in advance whether it is offered on your preferred date. The brewmaster’s story is also part of Vilshofen’s connection to Pilsner: Joseph Groll went to Pilsen in 1842 to brew “Pils” for the first time at the newly established Bürgerliches Brauhaus.

Architecture and Art on the Danube

The church of Schweiklberg Benedictine Abbey is characterised by Art Nouveau, with a slight Neo-Baroque influence. Along the Danube promenade, the artworks “Danube Wave Meets Vils Wave,” “Danube Tree” and “Arch of Time” explore the town’s life in relation to the Danube. You can see them on a walk along the promenade.

The Danube promenade is also the venue for the “Floating Christmas Market” and the “Danube in Flames” promenade festival. If one of these events is important to your stay, check in advance when it is taking place.

Cycling Routes and Nature Experiences

The Vils-Engtal nature reserve has developed into a local recreation area thanks to its scenic, peaceful surroundings. For a cycling tour, the Apfel-Rad-Weg is a circular route connecting Vilshofen, Aldersbach, Ortenburg, Fürstenzell, Neuhaus, Ruhstorf and Passau. When planning your trip, you can choose between a circular route linking several places and an outing focused more on town history.

The RadKapellenTour Vilshofen–Schweiklberg leads, among other places, to the Groll Chapel on the Vils in the Kreppe area of Vilshofen. Other stops include the Taferl Chapel on the left bank of the Vils, the Marienkapelle near Grafenmühle, the Hofkapelle in Wenig, the Hindinger Chapel in Walchsing, the Barbara Chapel on the right bank of the Vils, and Schweiklberg. Check local conditions before setting off.

More Experiences on Site

The Ginkgo Park in Vilshofen has a play garden with swings, slides, seesaws and climbing frames. If the condition of any individual pieces of equipment matters for your visit, check in advance for the latest information.

The Schweiklberg monastery shop sells products made in-house, including beeswax candles and Schweiklberger Geist. The latter is regarded as a tried-and-tested home remedy for many decades and is known as far away as Siberia. As current shop details may change, it is best to confirm them before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Ortenburg, Windorf, Aldersbach, Neuhaus Am Inn, Tettenweis, Beutelsbach, Tiefenbach, Rotthalmünster

For the overview of the wider area: Passau.