Pfarrkirchen: Architecture and Art in the Urban Space

Pfarrkirchen combines sacred buildings, historical collections and art in the urban space with recurring events. When planning a trip, both permanent architectural features and special visitor conditions and event dates are relevant.

Town Square and Architecture

The Old Town Hall is located at the northwest corner of the town square. The Museum in the Old Town Hall displays examples of historical crafts and folk art from Pfarrkirchen and the central Rottal region.

The Catholic parish church of Pfarrkirchen is under the patronage of the Apostles Simon and Jude Thaddaeus. The Erasmushaus, formerly the Erasmus Chapel, dates from the 15th century and is an octagonal central-plan building with a tented roof. It is one of the region’s most notable late Gothic buildings. “Octagonal” means eight-sided; a central-plan building is arranged around a center. These terms describe the building’s form, while the 15th century establishes its period.

Gartlberg and the Stations of the Cross

The Marian pilgrimage church on Gartlberg, also known as Gartlberg Church, is a distinctive landmark of Pfarrkirchen. On the way to Gartlberg there is a Stations of the Cross with 15 stations; in 1972, the carved Stations of the Cross from the parish church was incorporated into it.

Art and Collections

The Hans-Reiffenstuel-Haus was a former warehouse in the railway station area. It houses an exhibition space, the local music center and the municipal library, which has a permanent exhibition titled “Local Wildlife.” Several high-profile art exhibitions are held annually on the ground floor in collaboration with the Münchener Secession artists’ association, and admission is free. This brings together two different exhibition formats: the permanent exhibition on local wildlife and the annual art exhibitions. Before your visit, check the latest information about the building’s uses and exhibition program.

Ringallee and the Urban Space

Ringallee encircles Pfarrkirchen’s old town and was laid out on the city’s former defensive rampart. Its features include remnants of the old city wall dating from 1558, various fountains and green spaces, and an international sculpture exhibition featuring important sculptors of the 20th and 21st centuries. Ringallee is considered unique in Lower Bavaria. Here, the historic defensive rampart and an international art presentation bring together two distinct periods in the urban landscape.

Events and Visiting Hours

The deconsecrated Spitalkirche is used for concerts and theater performances and, during the Christmas season, for a nativity scene exhibition; it is open only for these occasions. Traditional horse races are held every year over the Whitsun weekend at Bavaria’s oldest racecourse. For travel planning, the seasonal distinction matters: the nativity scene exhibition takes place at Christmas, while the races take place over the Whitsun weekend. Check the specific event dates in advance.

Culture in the wider destination of Rottal-Inn

In the wider destination of Rottal-Inn, the “Gothic Tours” introduce locals and tourists to selected Gothic monuments. Brochures, maps, the tour portal and the Gothic portal provide orientation. The Gothic portal offers audio guides to Gothic buildings that can be accessed on site, as well as an online museum with information, knowledge and learning resources. In the same regional context, the Theater an der Rott presents premieres each year in drama, musical theater, concerts, dance, operetta and opera.

Discover more destinations: Ering, Triftern, Roßbach, Egglham, Arnstorf, Simbach Am Inn, Reut, Postmünster.

Back to the wider travel overview: Rottal-Inn.