Discover Epfach: Roman history on the Lech

Epfach appeals to travellers who want to discover Roman history at specific sites and in a variety of forms. The Abodiacum Museum, Lorenzberg and St. Bartholomew’s Parish Church give the town a distinctive cultural and historical character. Epfach lies beyond the B 17, directly on the western bank of the Lech.

Roman history at the Abodiacum Museum

The Abodiacum Museum presents Epfach’s 400-year Roman history; Epfach is also known as Abodiacum. A permanent exhibition uses models to illustrate the Roman baths, the 2nd-century roadside settlement and 4th-century Lorenzberg. Replicas and selected original objects complement the presentation. This brings different themes together: the baths, roadside settlement and Lorenzberg each offer their own point of connection to Roman history. The city of Abodiacum developed on the site of today’s village.

An early chronological marker is 14 BC, when the Romans built a military station on Lorenzberg. This early date can be compared with the models of the 2nd-century roadside settlement and 4th-century Lorenzberg. This comparison makes different periods of Roman history tangible. If you are planning a museum visit, check the latest opening information before travelling.

The church and earlier building phases

St. Bartholomew’s Parish Church offers a different architectural accent. It was built in the Empire style and is the only building of its kind in the district of Landsberg am Lech. Subsurface medieval and early modern archaeological remains of predecessor buildings are found in the area around the church. Thus, the town’s history includes not only the church’s architectural style but also archaeological evidence of earlier building phases. The style designation and the remains raise two distinct questions: what characterises the church architecturally, and what predecessor buildings stood on this site?

Lorenzberg: chapel and archaeological traces

The Lorenz Chapel on the hill of the same name in Epfach is a visitor attraction. At the same time, traces of the first major Roman excavations in 1830 still shape the appearance of Lorenzberg today. The archaeological monument on the hill also includes a Carolingian settlement. Roman and Carolingian history, the excavation history of the 19th century and the chapel as a visitor destination therefore come together here. The museum also features Lorenzberg in a model of the 4th century. Visitors who like to organise historical topics by period will find several distinct points of reference here.

Epfach as part of a cycling trip

The town’s history also offers a route connection for cyclists. The section of the Via Claudia Augusta from Landsberg to Schongau passes Lorenzberg and St. Lorenz Church in Epfach. This offers a different approach from a museum visit: the exhibition presents Roman themes through models and objects, while the Via Claudia Augusta identifies a specific cycling section linked to Lorenzberg. When planning your trip, you can weigh these two perspectives against each other: are the town’s cultural and historical themes your main interest, or would you like to consider Epfach in the context of the named section of the cycling route?

Your choice of accommodation can also reflect your planned interests. For Roman history, the museum and Lorenzberg offer different approaches; those interested in architecture can include St. Bartholomew’s and the remains of its predecessor buildings. For a cycling trip, the Landsberg–Schongau section of the Via Claudia Augusta is another point of reference.

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