Schongau: City Wall, History and Plantsch

If you are looking for a hotel in Schongau, considering your travel interests can be a helpful starting point: the old town and local history sit alongside Plantsch, the fairytale forest and a raft trip on Schongau’s Lechsee. The town brings together a wide range of themes. The places and details below offer ideas for planning, from architectural history and church art to swimming and fairytale displays.

Old Town and City Wall

The medieval old town, with its very well-preserved city wall, sits on a hill and offers wide views of the surrounding countryside. A long section of the city wall has been restored and made accessible to visitors. In Schongau, you can experience both the striking townscape and a walkable section of the historic fortifications.

Ballenhaus and Town Museum

The Ballenhaus offers a glimpse into Schongau’s former role in storing goods: in 1405, the Bavarian dukes granted the town permission to establish a goods depot; in 1420, the building was constructed as a granary for storing goods. Today, a Weißwurst breakfast with Weißwurst sausages, pretzels and sweet mustard is served there every Friday from 10 a.m. The offering may change, so check the latest information before your visit.

The Schongau Town Museum was founded in 1891 as one of Bavaria’s early local history museums. Among the works on display is the Häringer house altar from the court chapel in Windkreut, in the municipality of Peißenberg—a virtuoso work of Bavarian Rococo. Schongau thus brings together different historical perspectives: the Ballenhaus’s former role in storing goods and an artwork whose origins lie elsewhere in the district.

Churches and Special Details

The parish church of Mariae Himmelfahrt, also known as “Zu Unserer Lieben Frau” (“Our Lady”), is the oldest Christian place of worship on the hill of Schongau’s new town. Since 1988, a year-round nativity scene depicting biblical events has been displayed there, with the scenes changing every four to six weeks. Another chapter in the town’s history concerns the Discalced Carmelites: they founded a monastery in Schongau in 1719, and the monastery and church were built between 1720 and 1725.

The Heilig-Geist-Spitalkirche also has a distinctive musical feature: it houses a valuable small Baroque organ, whose present form was created in 1725 by Schongau organ builder Ferdinand Stückl. This offers different ways to explore the town’s history—from the oldest Christian place of worship on the hill of the new town, to the changing nativity scenes and the art of organ building.

Plantsch, Fairytale Forest and Lechsee

Plantsch Badespaß und Saunaland in Schongau is a water park for all ages. Its heated outdoor wellness pool has a water surface area of 219 m², a depth of 1.30 m and a fast-flowing current channel. There is also a 90 m-long tube slide with timed runs and sound and light effects. The pool and slide offer distinctly different swimming and sliding experiences.

The Schongau Fairytale Forest features displays and storytelling based on well-known fairytales by the Brothers Grimm; it also has a woodland discovery trail. On a trip aboard the historic long-distance trade raft on Schongau’s Lechsee, town guides talk about the lives of the raft operators of the past and the habitat along the Lech. Fairytales, woodland and the history of rafting offer a different focus from the old town and its buildings.

Getting There and the Regional Setting

Schongau station is the terminus of the Pfaffenwinkel Railway, which comes from Weilheim. Weilheim offers connections toward Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. If you plan to travel by train, check connections and journey times for your travel date.

Schongau is part of the wider Weilheim-Schongau destination, which belongs to the Pfaffenwinkel travel region. The Lech forms the western boundary of Weilheim-Schongau, the Ammer flows through its central area and the Loisach runs along its eastern boundary. This regional context adds a broader geographical perspective to Schongau’s local attractions.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Peißenberg, Seeshaupt, Bernbeuren, Oberhausen, Weilheim in Oberbayern, Pähl, Wessobrunn, Altenstadt

Back to the wider travel overview: Weilheim-Schongau.