Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hugging a tight bend in the Altmühl River, Eichstätt radiates a tranquil Mediterranean-
style flair. Cobbled streets meander past elegantly Italianate buildings and leafy piazzas,
giving this sleepy town a general sense of refinement. Italian architects, notably Gabriel
de Gabrieli and Maurizio Pedetti, rebuilt the town after Swedes razed the place during the
Thirty Years' War (1618-48) and it has since remained undamaged. Since 1980 many of
its baroque facades have concealed faculties belonging to Germany's sole Catholic uni-
versity.
Eichstätt is pretty enough, but is really just a jumping off and stocking up point for flits
into the wilds of Altmühltal Nature Park. You'll be chomping at the bit, eager to hit a trail
or grab a paddle, if you stay more than a day.
Sights
Dom
(
www.bistum-eichstaett.de/dom
;
Domplatz; 7.15am -7.30pm)
Eichstätt's centre is
dominated by the richly adorned Dom. Standout features include an enormous 16th-cen-
tury stained-glass window by Hans Holbein the Elder, and the carved sandstone
Pappen-
heimer Altar
(1489-97), depicting a pilgrimage from Pappenheim to Jerusalem. The
seated statue is of St Willibald, the town's first bishop.
507 42; Residenzplatz 7; adult/concession €3/1.50, Sun €1; 10.30am-5pm Wed-Fri,
10am-5pm Sat & Sun Apr-Nov)
includes the robes of 8th-century English-born bishop St
Willibald and baroque Gobelin tapestries.
CHURCH
Willibaldsburg
( 4730; Burgstrasse 19; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar)
The walk or drive up to the hilltop castle of Willibaldsburg (1355) is worth it for the views
across the valley from the formally laid-out
Bastiongarten
; many locals also head up
here on sunny days for the nearby beer garden. The castle itself house two museums, the
most interesting of which is the
Jura-Museum
(Burgstrasse 19; adult/concession €4.50/
3.50; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Mar, closed Mon)
specialising in fossils and
containing a locally found archaeopteryx (the oldest-known fossil bird), as well as aquari-
ums with living specimens of the fossilised animals.
CASTLE
Kloster St Walburga
CONVENT
