Dachau: Art, History and Green Trails

In Dachau, a protected historic town center, a palace and museums meet trails and places to visit in the district. This lets you combine your stay with local history and art or explore outdoor destinations—depending on which topics interest you most.

Dachau’s Historic Center, Palace and Museums

Dachau’s historic town center is protected as an ensemble and invites you to stroll and linger. The Wittelsbach Palace was once a popular summer residence of the Wittelsbach family. As you climb to the palace, the view stretches across the Munich Gravel Plain and the state capital, Munich, all the way to the Alps. Guided tours are regularly offered at the palace; dates are announced as they become available. Check the latest dates before your visit.

The Dachau District Museum presents its exhibits across three floors. Topics include settlement patterns and the town’s history, as well as guilds and market rights, crafts and trade. Everyday history, holiday customs and popular religious traditions are also represented. The museum explores the cultural history of the town of Dachau and the district. The Dachau Picture Gallery offers a different focus: its permanent collection includes landscape and genre paintings from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The gallery is associated with the Dachau artists’ colony, one of Germany’s most important art-historical artists’ colonies, which strongly influenced the development of modern art in the 20th century.

Cultural History in the District

Beyond the town of Dachau, museums and historic sites explore different chapters of regional history. The permanent exhibition at the Altomünster Museum covers the history of the Order of Saint Bridget in Europe and its founder, Saint Bridget of Sweden. One example is the now-closed Altomünster Monastery, which had been in existence for 500 years. From 1662 onward, after a miraculous healing attributed to water from a spring, Mariabrunn developed into an important pilgrimage site in the Diocese of Freising. Mariabrunn is now part of the municipality of Röhrmoos.

The Path of Remembrance explores the fate of children as victims of National Socialism. It also looks at the history of Markt Indersdorf as a refuge after the Second World War: the market town offered shelter to more than 1,000 young survivors of Nazi persecution. These stops give the exploration of history a particular focus on remembrance and the experiences of young people.

Trails, Art and Landscape

At Karlsfelder See, recreation and exercise go hand in hand: the 58.2-hectare area lies directly next to the built-up area of northern Karlsfeld in the Dachau district. The lake is used year-round for walking, jogging, cycling and recreation. The approximately 2.5-kilometer-long “Lifeline Maisach” trail offers a different perspective on the landscape. It follows the river and is accessible without barriers from Bergkirchen or Günding.

A Romanesque basilica stands on Petersberg near Erdweg. Built in 1104, it has survived to this day. The 200-meter-long sculpture trail leads through Petersberg Forest; a total of ten works of art can be seen at eight stops. Those interested in more cultural trails can follow the “Art and Culture Around the Monastery Hill” walking trail in Altomünster. It loops around the monastery and passes important sights. The middle route of the “Seven Monasteries Trail” cycle route leads to Altomünster, home to a Bridgettine monastery for centuries, and to Petersberg near Erdweg.

With patience and a little luck, you can spot the feeding marks of beavers that have returned to the Amper meadows. Pilgrims can also follow a route through the region: a connecting trail in the Dachau region leads to the Munich Way of St. James, which continues to Lindau.

Planning Your Visit

To travel from Dachau train station to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, take bus route 726 in the direction of “Saubachsiedlung.” As schedules can change, check the current connection before you travel. It is also a good idea to check the announced dates for palace tours. This will help you plan town visits, museum trips and trails in the district to suit your stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Altomünster, Dachau, Hebertshausen, Markt Indersdorf, Schwabhausen, Weißling, Haimhausen, Bergkirchen, Odelzhausen, Röhrmoos, Vierkirchen, Erdweg, Karlsfeld, Hilgertshausen-Tandern, Petershausen and Sulzemoos.

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