Eichstätt Between Fossils and Willibaldsburg Castle

At Willibaldsburg Castle in Eichstätt, preserved buildings meet a historic garden. The Jura Museum also offers a look at fossils from the Solnhofen limestone and the original Eichstätt specimen of Archaeopteryx. These distinct themes give you specific starting points for planning your trip: you can focus on castle and architectural history, garden culture or fossils.

Willibaldsburg Castle and the Bastion Garden

The 420-meter-long Willibaldsburg Castle was built in 1355 by Bishop Berthold Burgrave of Zollern and served as the bishop’s residence until 1725. Its surviving features include walls and bastions, the armory, the 63-meter-long gate hall, and the Gemmingen building with its two towers. These measurements refer to different parts of the complex: the gate hall is a single building, while 420 meters describes the length of Willibaldsburg Castle. Together with the surviving buildings, this helps put the scale of the complex into perspective.

The castle is also home to the 1,500-square-meter Bastion Garden. The Hortus Eystettensis was brought back to life there after 400 years; the historic garden had been destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War. Visitors can discover many of the original plant species in the Bastion Garden. This brings the history of the complex together with a closer look at its plant life.

Fossils at the Museum and Nearby

The exhibition at the Jura Museum Eichstätt focuses on fossils from the Solnhofen limestone. The museum also displays the original Eichstätt specimen of Archaeopteryx. Anyone interested in the history of the Earth will find both a broad focus on fossils and a specifically identified original specimen here. These offer different ways to explore the subject of fossils within the same museum.

The Eichstätt Fossil Trail offers a different experience: it is a moderately challenging, nine-kilometer circular route for families. Nearby, on Blumenberg, there is also a fossil quarry for hobby collectors, right next to the Marienstein children’s village. The two attractions are distinct: the fossil trail is a circular hike, while the quarry is a place for hobby collecting. When planning your time, this distinction can help you choose between a longer walk and a specific interest in collecting.

Local History, Food and the Region

Domplatz is located on the oldest settled ground in the city of Eichstätt. Eichstätt’s Genuss-Wirte (culinary hosts) offer a different taste of local character: several times a year, they serve special dishes under the motto “Eichstätt kocht...” (“Eichstätt cooks...”), including, for example, spicy Altmühltal lamb dishes. Domplatz provides a historic point of reference in the city, alongside the culinary hosts’ recurring offerings throughout the year.

The district of Eichstätt also helps put the wider region into perspective. Its territory forms the heart of the Altmühltal Nature Park, one of Germany’s largest nature parks. More than 80 percent of the district lies within the nature park, whose natural beauty provides space for recreation and leisure. The Altmühltal Cycle Route also passes through the district. These details refer to the district of Eichstätt as a whole, adding a regional perspective to visits within the city.

Whether you plan your stay mainly around fossils, Willibaldsburg Castle, or the city’s history and food, Eichstätt offers several distinct themes to help you plan your trip. When choosing a hotel, you can start by considering which of these interests will matter most during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Eichstätt, Kinding, Kipfenberg, Lenting, Mörnsheim, Beilngries, Dollnstein, Wellheim, Denkendorf, Nassenfels, Altmannstein, Kösching, Großmehring, Titting, Schernfeld, Mindelstetten, Pollenfeld, Böhmfeld, Oberdolling, Gaimersheim, Pförring.

For the general travel overview: Bavaria.