Pollenfeld combines the Gothic parish church of St. Sixtus with a municipal area that lies entirely within Altmühltal Nature Park. The municipality as a whole is also the right frame of reference when looking at routes and other sights: some of the places mentioned are in Wörmersdorf, Seuversholz and Sornhüll. This gives you different options when planning your trip—with ecclesiastical art in Pollenfeld itself, and opportunities to enjoy nature and explore elsewhere in the municipal area.

Hiking and cycling in the municipal area

Well-maintained field and forest paths invite you to hike and cycle in the municipality of Pollenfeld. The well-developed cycle path network safely connects the municipality’s villages. You can also hike on public cycle and forest trails; one example is the Eichstätt–Titting cycle route. The routes can be combined with small discoveries along the way: wayside crosses, memorial stones and wayside shrines are among the notable features along the field and forest paths.

When choosing your accommodation, you can consider whether you would mainly like to visit the parish church of St. Sixtus or focus on routes and sights elsewhere in the municipal area. The landscape is clearly defined: the entire municipal area lies within Altmühltal Nature Park. Choosing between ecclesiastical art and walking routes also means choosing between different themes for your stay, without having to follow a fixed circular route.

St. Sixtus: architectural history and medieval art

The parish church of St. Sixtus is one of the sights in Pollenfeld. Its architectural history spans several periods: the choir and tower date from the Late Gothic period, around 1400. The Neo-Gothic nave was partly built on older foundations in 1911/12 and consecrated in 1913. Thus, the Late Gothic elements contrast with a much later design for the nave.

The furnishings also offer a glimpse into medieval art. A fresco dating from around 1430, depicting the Death of the Virgin Mary, survives on the south side of the choir. The stained-glass windows, dating from around 1410/20, depict different subjects: the right-hand window shows scenes from the story of Jesus’s childhood, while the left-hand window depicts scenes from the Passion. Together, the architecture and artworks offer several ways to trace the church’s development over time.

Late Gothic works dating from around 1470 include a six-metre-high sacrament house and a two-door stone wall cupboard beside it. The cupboard was once intended to hold the collection of relics. Both works were created by stonemasons from Eichstätt. The figures on the high altar also have art-historical significance: the Madonna in particular is considered one of the finest wooden sculptures in the territory of the former Prince-Bishopric of Eichstätt.

Other sights in the municipality

Sights can also be found elsewhere in the municipal area, beyond the village of Pollenfeld. In Wörmersdorf, the tower of St. Martin’s Church is a notable destination; in Seuversholz, it is the Chapel of St. Mary. In Sornhüll, four prehistoric burial mounds are among the municipality’s sights. These place names help distinguish the municipality’s cultural attractions from one another; they should not be confused with the parish church of St. Sixtus in the village of Pollenfeld.

Culture in the wider destination of Eichstätt

The wider destination of Eichstätt offers additional cultural experiences. The Jura Museum Eichstätt focuses its exhibits on fossils from the Solnhofen Plattenkalk limestone, and also displays the original Eichstätt specimen of Archaeopteryx. The Willibaldsburg was built in 1355 by Bishop Berthold Burggraf von Zollern and served as the bishop’s residence until 1725. Among the surviving features of the 420-metre-long castle are its walls and bastions, the armoury, the 63-metre-long gate hall and the Gemmingen building with its two towers.

Eichstätt’s cultural attractions also include the 1,500-square-metre Bastion Garden at Willibaldsburg. There, the Hortus Eystettensis, destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, was brought back to life after 400 years; visitors can discover many of the garden’s original plant species. Pollenfeld’s ecclesiastical art and walking routes can therefore be enjoyed as a focus in their own right, while Eichstätt offers a different kind of cultural experience with its museum, castle and garden.

For the wider travel overview: Eichstätt.