Waldstetten reveals two clearly distinct themes: architectural history in the village and walks in the surrounding area. St. Martin’s Parish Church, the town hall, chapels and the former castle represent different architectural styles and periods. Walks lead, among other places, towards Ellzee and the Günz reservoir, as well as through wooded areas towards Autenried and Wallenhausen.
Churches and historic buildings
The Catholic parish church of St. Martin replaced an older church, which was demolished in 1851 because it had fallen into disrepair. The new building was constructed on the same site between 1851 and 1853; the church was built in 1852/53 as a Neo-Romanesque hall church. Its chancel is set back and has a three-sided end. The slender tower stands on the south side and was built in 1869. Several stages can therefore be distinguished in the history of this building: the demolition of its predecessor, the construction of the new church and the later addition of the tower.
The town hall was built in 1769/71 by Franz Ignaz Anton Bagnato. It is a two-storey building with a hipped roof and a partly open raised basement. The upper floor is built using timber-frame construction; a hexagonal roof turret rises above the roof. The building was formerly the administrative office of the Teutonic Order. The period in which it was built and that of the Neo-Romanesque church mark different chapters in Waldstetten’s local history.
Another historic building is the former castle of the Lords of Rechberg. Its original structure dates from 1587, and its roof structure from 1675. The building was altered in the 19th and 20th centuries. These dates reflect different periods in the building’s history: its original structure, the later roof structure and the alterations made in the following centuries.
The chapels also differ in form and date. St. Leonhard is a rectangular building with a set-back three-sided end and was built from 1705 to 1711 on an older foundation. The Maria-Hilf Chapel is a small building with a pitched roof and curved gable, dating from the 18th century; its furnishings date from the 19th century. In Heubelsburg near Waldstetten, St. Anna Chapel was built in 1751/52: a small rectangular building with a semicircular apse, a curved blind gable and a gable turret topped with an octagonal structure.
Medieval and early modern predecessor buildings are located in the area around St. Jacob’s Chapel. The building history visible at the places mentioned therefore reaches further back than the construction dates of the town hall, castle and chapels.
Walks and the surrounding area
Walks and short excursions are possible in and around Waldstetten. One walk can lead from Waldstetten towards Ellzee and the GĂĽnz reservoir. Other walks go towards Autenried and Wallenhausen through wooded areas; the salt lakes are also mentioned along these routes. These directions offer different options when planning: the GĂĽnz reservoir on one hand, and the woods and the salt lakes mentioned on the other.
About one kilometre east of Waldstetten, a historic mill complex stands on the GĂĽnz. It comprises a residential and mill building from the first half of the 18th century, farm buildings from the 18th century, and an associated mill chapel from the middle of the 18th century. The complex is therefore a separate destination in the nearby area and should be distinguished from the buildings in the village.
For a thematic comparison, the notable construction dates range from the original structure of the former castle, dating from 1587, through the town hall and chapels of the 18th century, to the new parish church of the 19th century. When considering a stay in Waldstetten, visitors can thus distinguish between a focus on local history and walks in the surrounding area.
Discover more destinations: Kötz, Haldenwang, Offingen, Ziemetshausen, Deisenhausen, Leipheim, Ursberg, Thannhausen.
For the overview of the wider region: GĂĽnzburg.
