When planning a trip to Baar (Swabia), it is worth looking at the surrounding area: recurring events take place at the Maria im Elend pilgrimage chapel. The Swabian musicians from Gersthofen traditionally provide the musical accompaniment for the Forest Christmas, which takes place every year on a Sunday in winter. Smaller pilgrimages are also held at the chapel from time to time. At the end of May, comrades’ and soldiers’ associations hold a festive service at Maria im Elend each year.
The annual calendar thus distinguishes between a winter event and an occasion at the end of May. If you would like to plan your trip around the Forest Christmas or the service, check the specific date in advance.
Hiking and cycling in the wider travel region
The hiking options in the wider Aichach-Friedberg travel region vary in scope and selection. The Paartal hiking trail follows the middle stretch of the Paar from Aichach to Gut Schenkenau in the district of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen and is 36.8 kilometres long in total. The hiking brochure “Hike Aichach – The most beautiful walks around Aichach” presents 15 walks and hiking trails in and around Aichach. This means that a single route described by its total length sits alongside a selection of trails. Check current trail conditions before setting out.
There is also guidance for cycling tours at district level: the Aichach-Friedberg district cycling map features 14 well-signposted themed cycling routes. Check route conditions before setting off.
Town history and Wittelsbach heritage
For town history, look to Aichach. Its historic old town has changed little over the centuries. The town museum vividly tells the story of Aichach; the Wittelsbach Museum is housed in the Lower Gate. Oberwittelsbach, a district of Aichach, was the site of the Wittelsbachs’ ancestral castle. Sisi Castle in Unterwittelsbach served Duke Max in Bavaria as a hunting lodge.
In Friedberg, two buildings point to different eras: Wittelsbach Castle originated as a High Medieval castle, built around 1257 under Duke Ludwig II the Strict. The Herrgottsruh pilgrimage church was built between 1731 and 1753 and is considered one of the finest examples of Bavarian Rococo. The span ranges from the Middle Ages to the Rococo period.
The pilgrimage museum in Inchenhofen also offers insight into the region’s pilgrimage history. It is located in Haus St. Leonhard, a former Cistercian brewery building, and displays iron and wax votive offerings, ploughshares, horseshoes, and neck and hand shackles. The museum documents the significance of Saint Leonhard and St. Leonhard Church as a much-visited pilgrimage destination.
Another regional attraction is Schlossbrauerei Unterbaar, one of the local breweries in Wittelsbacher Land and one of Bavaria’s oldest privately owned breweries.
Discover more destinations: Merching, Petersdorf, Steindorf, Ried, Schmiechen, Schiltberg, Pöttmes, Mering.
For the wider travel overview: Aichach-Friedberg.
