Discover Mindelstetten

Discover Mindelstetten through two distinct themes: the memorial sites of Saint Anna Schäffer and the annual market. Around the church, gravesites and birthplace, you can explore the town’s pilgrimage history; the market is shaped by a parade, music and an equestrian show. These highlights can help you plan your trip around a visit to the pilgrimage sites or a specific event date.

Anna Schäffer and the Mindelstetten Pilgrimage

The first burial site of Saint Anna Schäffer is located by the church tower. In the nave of the old Neo-Gothic St. Nicholas Parish Church, a tomb stands above the grave. The church dates from 1904/05. In Mindelstetten, you can therefore visit both a specific memorial site and a church with a clearly established date of construction.

The Anna Schäffer birthplace, which houses the Anna Schäffer exhibition, is also part of this theme. Guests of the parish can visit it. The birthplace is listed as closed from December 24 through January 1 inclusive; check the visitor information before your visit. The Pilgrimage Centre, with a hall and toilets, is located at Kirchplatz 2a.

Arriving by bike follows the pilgrimage connection: from Hüttenhausen, the pilgrimage cycle route continues for another two kilometres along paved cycle paths to Saint Anna Schäffer in Mindelstetten. Check the latest route information before setting out. This gives you a specific route section to consider when planning, in addition to the memorial sites.

Mindelstetten Market: Parade and Show-Jumping Events

The Mindelstetten Market takes place annually. On a Friday, the festival procession sets off from the church and continues to the market square and festival hall. Celebrations last four days, with local associations, musicians and other participants. The market also includes an equestrian tournament with show-jumping events, organised by RuFV Mindelstetten near the market square.

The parade, festivities in the hall and tournament give the market its varied character. If the event is the reason for your trip, check the market dates before settling on your travel days and searching for accommodation. This lets you plan around a specific date, rather than treating the market as equivalent to the pilgrimage sites, which are of interest year-round.

Church History in Hüttenhausen

A church in Hüttenhausen, within the municipality, tells a different story of construction. Two stylistically closely related Pantocrator depictions in the tympana have led to its being dated to around 1190. It underwent extensive renovation around 1700, when the nave was extended westwards by more than five metres. The details point to two different aspects: the stylistic comparison provides a clue to the early date, while the renovation describes a specific later alteration.

More to Explore in the Wider Eichstätt Destination

In the wider Eichstätt destination, the Jura Museum focuses on fossils from the Solnhofen Plattenkalk. The original Eichstätt specimen of Archaeopteryx is also on display there. Willibaldsburg Castle offers a different perspective on history: Bishop Berthold Burggraf von Zollern had it built in 1355; it served as a bishop’s residence until 1725. Parts of the 420-metre-long castle that have been preserved include walls and bastions, the arsenal, the 63-metre-long gate hall and the Gemmingen building with its two towers.

Willibaldsburg Castle is also home to the 1,500-square-metre Bastion Garden. There, the Hortus Eystettensis, destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, was brought back to life after 400 years; visitors can discover many of its original plant species. Another landmark is Cathedral Square, which lies on the oldest settled ground in the city of Eichstätt. For an active outing, the Eichstätt Fossil Trail is a moderately difficult, nine-kilometre circular route for families. Several times a year, the Eichstätt Genuss-Wirte offer special dishes under the motto “Eichstätt kocht...”, including savoury Altmühltal lamb dishes.

The cultural and natural attractions in the wider Eichstätt destination offer a distinct focus for planning the rest of your trip.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Großmehring, Eichstätt, Gaimersheim, Pförring, Lenting, Altmannstein, Kipfenberg, Kinding.

Back to the wider travel guide: Eichstätt.