Unterreitnau brings together the history of the Catholic parish church of St. Urban and St. Sylvester and specific cycling routes. The Panorama Cycle Route on Lake Constance near Lindau passes through the village; the Degersee-BadhĂĽtte Tour includes an option to detour to the church. This gives you different options when planning your trip: sacred architecture and pilgrimage history, or a cycling tour that can be combined with a visit to a church.
Parish Church: Building History and Pilgrimage
The Catholic parish church of St. Urban and St. Sylvester is a listed building. The lower part of its tower probably dates from the 14th or 15th century, while the chancel and west wall of the nave date from the late 15th century. The church is thought to have been built before 1400 and originated as an old Premonstratensian monastery. It was extended in 1690, when the Joseph Chapel was added.
The devotional image on the side altar is also part of the church’s pilgrimage history. It probably dates from around 1420 and was the destination of numerous pilgrimages. Together with the building’s various phases, this tells a story that stretches from its presumed medieval origins through its late medieval structural features to the extension in 1690. Visitors interested in church architecture can view these periods as distinct aspects of local history.
Other Stops in Church History
The plague cemetery on the present-day road from Unterreitnau to Bechtersweiler is also part of Unterreitnau’s history. It was established during the plague epidemics of the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648). A total of 341 people died in Unterreitnau, and not all could be buried in the cemetery by the parish church.
Near Unterreitnau, the small Michaelskapelle on Taubenberg has been part of the Unterreitnau parish since 1831. Bruggach and Taubenberg had applied to separate from the parish of Wasserburg in 1830; King Ludwig I approved the request on July 9, 1831. The chapel offers a broader view of local church history beyond the parish church itself.
A regular event in local cultural life is the annual concert by the Unterreitnau music band. It always takes place on the evening before the first Sunday of Advent. If you would like to combine your trip with the concert, check the exact date in advance.
Cycling Routes with Different Highlights
The Panorama Cycle Route on Lake Constance near Lindau passes through Hengnau and Rickatshofen to Unterreitnau, then heads towards Taubenberg and on to Bodolz. The route passes fruit orchards and vineyards, and you can stop at a restaurant in Unterreitnau. The Degersee-BadhĂĽtte Tour offers the option of a detour to the church. The two routes have different highlights: the Panorama Cycle Route passes through a series of villages and by orchards and vineyards, while the possible detour to the church is a key feature of the Degersee-BadhĂĽtte Tour.
Culture in the Broader Destination of Lindau (Lake Constance)
The broader destination of Lindau (Lake Constance) offers another focus on urban architecture and collecting history. The Cavazzen is a Baroque patrician residence in the middle of Lindau’s market square. The town house on Lindau Island was built in 1729/30 by Swiss master builder Jakob Grubenmann and has housed the Lindau City Museum since 1930.
The Former Imperial City Library of Lindau was founded in 1538 and contains around 13,000 volumes from the early modern period. It is the largest historic council and citizens’ library on the northern shore of Lake Constance. The Lindau Library Museum is located in the Old Town Hall and displays the collection. Alongside Unterreitnau’s church architecture and pilgrimage history, the broader destination therefore offers distinct themes from Lindau’s urban history to explore.
Discover more destinations: Reutin, Bad Schachen, Aeschach.
View the broader travel overview: Lindau.
