Asten: Astner Moos, Ice Age Landscape and Church Art

Asten lies on a glacial moraine and offers views to the south across the Salzach basin to the mountains of the Salzkammergut and Chiemgau. The landscape, wildlife and historic furnishings give the village a range of different points of interest. When planning your trip, you can decide whether nature watching, the history of the landscape or church art is of particular interest to you.

Astner Moos and the Ice Age Landscape

South of Asten, the Astner Moos nature reserve lies in a large kettle formed by dead ice. Its terminal moraine pond and the surrounding wetland have been protected since 1987. The reserve is accessible to pedestrians along its edge. Astner Moos is a habitat and resting place for birds, including sedge warblers and northern shovelers. Amphibians, reptiles and dragonflies also find a habitat there.

The Ice Age Trail offers another way to explore the history of the landscape. Along this hiking trail, you can learn more about the pond and how it formed in connection with the Salzach Glacier. This brings the area's geological formation into focus alongside its wildlife. If you enjoy considering a landscape together with how it was formed, you can take this focus into account when choosing your excursions.

The views from Asten and Astner Moos offer different perspectives: looking south, you can see across the Salzach basin to the mountain scenery of the Salzkammergut and Chiemgau; the reserve is defined by its pond, wetland and wildlife. This lets you choose between taking in a sweeping landscape and focusing more closely on habitats, depending on your interests.

Church Art in Asten

The Church of the Assumption of Mary contains two side altars dating from 1662. The Rococo high altar was created in 1747 and is attributed to J. G. Itzlfeldner; the Rococo tabernacle dates from 1765. Gothic details can be found on the sacristy doors and the south portal. The dates make the stylistic differences within the furnishings clear: Gothic elements stand alongside the later altars and the Rococo-style tabernacle. If you are interested in sacred art, the church offers specific works and dates to guide you.

Tittmoning: More to Discover in the Wider Destination

In the wider destination of Tittmoning, the town square and historic town wall also shape the townscape. The 298-metre-long town square forms a unified historic ensemble; its colourful facades are designed in the regionally characteristic Inn-Salzach style. The town wall is almost completely preserved and dates from the mid-13th century. Stretching for 1,700 metres, it encloses the town centre and Tittmoning Castle. These details about its length, construction date and state of preservation provide a concrete context for exploring Tittmoning's cultural history.

The Rupertiwinkel Museum is housed in 23 historic exhibition rooms with original 17th-century floors and ceilings. Its subjects include prehistoric and early historic finds as well as regional folk art. The collection also includes 130 Tittmoning shooting targets dating from 1600 to 1930. This collection complements the museum's broader themes with a clearly defined group of objects from a specific period.

The Tannery Museum in the former Marstall building of the Troadkasten explores a different subject: it documents the history of tanning in Tittmoning. The museum is designed to be interactive and experimental; visitors can learn by touching objects and trying things out for themselves. This makes its approach different from the exhibition rooms of the Rupertiwinkel Museum. The two museums therefore offer different ways to explore: collections and historic rooms on the one hand, and hands-on activities about the history of tanning on the other.

Nature and Seasonal Activities in Tittmoning

The Salzach floodplain near Tittmoning is part of the “Salzach and Lower Inn” Special Area of Conservation and the European Natura 2000 network of protected sites. In Tittmoning, the floodplain trail runs from the flatboat landing through the natural riverside landscape along the Salzach. Flatboat trips depart from the landing at the Tittmoning Salzach Bridge in the floodplain and travel downstream on the Salzach towards Burghausen. This gives you two distinct ways to experience the river landscape: a trip on the water and a circular walk through the floodplain.

The public guided-tour programme for Tittmoning Castle and the Rupertiwinkel Museum lists tours from 1 May to 3 October, Thursdays to Sundays at 2 pm. Tours last about an hour and a half; advance booking is not required. As dates and times may change, it is advisable to check the current programme before attending. Since 2011, the Colloredo Market has been held every year in April as a two-day arts and crafts market in the historic castle grounds. Exact dates may vary here, too. These seasonal activities give your plans a distinct time frame alongside the landscape and cultural attractions described as available year-round.

For the wider travel overview: Tittmoning.