Penzing: Field Chapel and St. Martin Parish Church

To get your bearings in Penzing, two historic religious buildings can be distinguished: the Frauenkapelle (Chapel of Our Lady) on the southern outskirts and the Catholic parish church of St. Martin. The chapel’s story centres on its foundation, a lightning strike and the bell that has been passed down; St. Martin reflects a building history that runs from its 15th-century core to its extension and Baroque remodelling around 1719. These two timelines offer a concrete introduction to Penzing’s local history without assigning the buildings to the same period.

The Frauenkapelle and its bell

The Frauenkapelle, also known as the Field Chapel, was built and endowed in 1722 by Simon Erhart, a priest in Bergen, and Johann Wiedemann, a wheelwright from Penzing. In 1806, lightning struck the Field Chapel; a lack of funds meant it could not be rebuilt. The December 2022 community bulletin names the bell as the only surviving part. Its inscription reads, “Johanns Windaman von Penzing 1723”. The dates refer to different events: 1722 marks the construction and endowment, while 1723 appears in the bell’s inscription. This makes it possible to distinguish the endowment from the later inscription without confusing the two dates.

St. Martin: an older core and later changes

The core of the Catholic parish church of St. Martin dates from the 15th century. Around 1719, the church was extended and given a Baroque makeover. Penzing is therefore home to two distinct building histories: St. Martin has an older core and a later remodelling, while the Field Chapel is associated with its endowment in 1722 and the bell inscription of 1723. For those interested in architecture, this comparison brings the different periods associated with the two buildings into focus.

Culture and landscape in the wider destination of Landsberg Am Lech

The wider destination of Landsberg Am Lech offers further cultural and historical topics. Landsberg am Lech’s Bayertor has stood since 1425 and is considered one of Bavaria’s finest Gothic buildings. The Mutterturm is an exceptional monument to Historicism, which Herkomer had built in honour of his mother. The buildings represent different architectural traditions: the Bayertor is defined by its Gothic style, while the Mutterturm reflects Historicism and its dedication to Herkomer’s mother.

The Landsberg am Lech City Museum is an open, lively place that presents the city’s history and connects it with questions of the present. Situated on the Leitenberg, it offers one of the finest views of the city of Landsberg. Guided city tours take visitors through the old town and recount its history, including dukes and electors, the salt trade and raftsmen, dyers and tanners, as well as Jesuits, Ursulines and legends from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The wider destination thus brings together museum interpretation, views of the city and guided historical storytelling on a range of cultural topics.

The landscape and outdoor activities are also among the attractions of Landsberg Am Lech. Lechpark Pössinger Au is the city of Landsberg’s main local recreation area, encompassing woodland, meadows and floodplain landscapes with animal and plant species that have become rare. The LechErlebnisWeg begins at Landsberg’s main square and follows the course of the river for most of its route. Lake Ammersee lies entirely within the district of Landsberg am Lech. In Upper Bavaria, it is Bavaria’s third-largest lake after Lake Chiemsee and Lake Starnberg, and a popular destination for local recreation. Boat trips, water sports and attractive lakeside promenades are among the activities on offer, alongside sporting and cultural pursuits in the natural setting of the Bavarian Alpine foothills.

Discover more destinations: Epfenhausen, Oberbergen, Untermühlhausen, Ramsach, Landsberg Am Lech, Greifenberg, Prittriching, Geltendorf.

Back to the wider travel overview: Landsberg Am Lech.