Mering: Churches, the Paar and Regional Culture

Churches and chapels, a recreation and leisure area right on the Paar, and distinctive details in St. Michael’s Parish Church give Mering a range of things to explore during a stay. The Badanger recreation and leisure area is located right in the heart of Mering, directly on the Paar. Here, sacred architectural history meets a clear connection to the river. If you are looking for accommodation, you can first consider whether you want to focus on Mering’s own sights or also include themes from the wider Aichach-Friedberg travel destination in your plans.

Churches and Art in Mering

Mering’s sights include numerous churches and chapels, some of which were built a very long time ago. One particularly early example is the Catholic branch church of St. John the Baptist in the district of Meringerzell: built in the 10th century, it is the oldest church in the municipality of Mering. The town’s church history therefore reaches far back, and its many churches and chapels cannot be reduced to a single period of construction.

Several Gothic details offer a way to explore St. Michael’s Parish Church. An arch in the church formed part of a medieval battlement; at the northern entrance there is a red-marble sculpture, and on the western interior wall, a Madonna. The church also features a ceiling fresco designed by Ignaz Baldauf in 1779. The arch, sculpture, Madonna and fresco represent different forms of artistic design and historical references within a single church.

Places of Local Life

Mering’s market square is another local landmark and a popular meeting place for the town’s residents. The Sperlingsbrunnen fountain is named, alongside the Badanger recreation area, as one of Mering’s potential favourite spots. Mering’s outdoor swimming pool was built in 1957.

Culture in the Wider Aichach-Friedberg Travel Destination

If you are planning to explore beyond Mering, the wider Aichach-Friedberg travel destination offers more cultural attractions. In Friedberg, the Herrgottsruh pilgrimage church was built between 1731 and 1753; it is considered one of the finest works of Bavarian Rococo. Friedberg’s Wittelsbach Castle originated as a High Medieval castle, built around 1257 under Duke Louis II the Strict. The church and castle thus represent two distinct historical aspects of Friedberg.

In Aichach, the Wittelsbach Museum is housed in the Unteres Tor (Lower Gate). The town museum vividly recounts Aichach’s history, while its historic old town has changed little over the centuries. The Wittelsbachs’ ancestral castle stood in the Aichach district of Oberwittelsbach. In Unterwittelsbach, Sisi’s Castle served Duke Max in Bavaria as a hunting lodge. These local histories offer different ways to explore the past of Aichach and the Wittelsbachs.

The Inchenhofen Pilgrimage Museum is also among the region’s cultural attractions. It is located in Haus St. Leonhard, a former brewery building belonging to the Cistercians. The Inchenhofen Pilgrimage Museum displays iron and wax votive offerings, ploughshares, horseshoes, as well as neck and hand shackles. The museum documents the importance of St. Leonhard and the Church of St. Leonhard as a much-visited pilgrimage destination.

Walking and Cycling Routes in the Wider Area

The wider Aichach-Friedberg travel destination also offers ideas for walks. The Paartal Hiking Trail follows the middle stretch of the Paar from Aichach to Gut Schenkenau in the district of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen and is 36.8 kilometres long in total. The hiking brochure “aichach erwandern – Die schönsten Spaziergänge rund um Aichach” (“Explore Aichach on Foot – The Most Beautiful Walks Around Aichach”) also presents 15 walks and hiking trails in and around Aichach. This gives you two different ways to find your bearings: a specifically named route and a brochure with several suggested tours. For cycling, the Aichach-Friedberg district cycling map features 14 well-signposted themed cycling routes. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

Focus your search on the places and themes you actually want to include in your travel plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Friedberg, Baar, Ried, Rehling, Merching, Pöttmes, Petersdorf, Kissing.

To the wider travel overview: Aichach-Friedberg.