Baroque church architecture, a sculpture in front of the town hall, and a cultural program featuring theater, concerts and art exhibitions: Bergkirchen brings together several distinct cultural themes. Nearby, you’ll also find trails along the Maisach and seasonal activities at Monte Kienader. When planning your trip, it’s worth distinguishing between what’s available in the town and other destinations in the Dachau region.
Church, Art and Culture in Bergkirchen
The parish church of St. John the Baptist was rebuilt as a Baroque basilica from 1731 to 1734. Johann Michael Fischer built it on the foundations of two earlier churches. Its construction dates, architect and predecessor buildings make the church a notable attraction for anyone interested in the Baroque period and architectural history.
You’ll find a different kind of public art in front of the town hall: the bronze sculpture “Girl with a Book” stands on a stone bench. The church and sculpture offer contrasting focal points—one tells the story of a religious building, the other is a work of art in a public space. Together with the annual cultural program, they offer a varied perspective on Bergkirchen’s cultural side.
The municipality’s cultural program has been put together since 2003 and includes theater performances, concerts and art exhibitions. The individual events change from year to year. If you’d like to plan your trip around a particular event, check the dates for your travel period in advance.
Trails and Seasonal Options Nearby
The approximately 2.5-kilometer-long “Lifeline Maisach” trail runs along the river between Bergkirchen and Günding. It’s a specific way to include the Maisach in your trip plans.
At Monte Kienader, between Günding and Bergkirchen, there are two T-bar lifts and a children’s lift on a separate slope where young children can learn to ski. This activity differs from the cultural attractions available year-round: operations depend on snow conditions and vary by season. Check whether the lifts are currently operating before your visit.
Nearby, then, you’ll find options for different interests: a riverside trail and skiing when snow conditions are suitable. You can choose based on what’s relevant to your stay, without planning on both activities being available at the same time or year-round.
Culture and Landscape in the Dachau Region
The Dachau region includes other distinct cultural and natural attractions. In Dachau, the historic old town invites you to stroll and linger; it is protected as an architectural ensemble. Dachau Palace was once a popular summer residence of the Wittelsbach family. The climb up to the palace offers views across the Munich Gravel Plain, the state capital of Munich and all the way to the Alps. Guided tours are held regularly, with current dates announced each time. If a guided tour is important to your plans, check the announced dates before your trip.
The museums in the Dachau region also cover a range of subjects. The Dachau District Museum explores topics across three floors, including settlement patterns, town history, guilds and market rights, crafts and trade, everyday life, holiday customs and religious folk culture. The Dachau Picture Gallery’s permanent collection features landscape and genre paintings from the 19th and early 20th centuries. In Altomünster, the permanent exhibition at the Altomünster Museum focuses on the history of the Bridgettine Order in Europe and its founder, Saint Bridget of Sweden. It includes the now-closed Altomünster Monastery, which had existed for 500 years, as an example.
For a walk with an artistic focus, the “Art and Culture around Klosterberg” trail loops around the monastery in Altomünster and passes important sights. Another destination is Petersberg near Erdweg, home to a Romanesque basilica built in 1104 that still stands today. The 200-meter-long sculpture trail runs through Petersberg Forest, with a total of ten works of art at eight stops. These different formats—museum, walking trail and art installations—make it easier to focus on the cultural interests that matter to you in the Dachau region.
The landscape offers other points of interest. The 58.2-hectare Karlsfelder See recreation area lies right next to the built-up area of northern Karlsfeld in the district of Dachau and is used year-round for walking, jogging, cycling and recreation. In the Amper floodplains, with patience and a little luck, you can spot the feeding traces of the beaver, which has returned to live in the area. These options are part of the Dachau region and complement Bergkirchen’s own cultural attractions and nearby trails with other clearly distinct themes.
Discover more destinations: Günding, Erdweg, Markt Indersdorf, Odelzhausen, Schwabhausen, Weißling, Altomünster, Hebertshausen.
Back to the regional travel overview: Dachau.
