Discover Weil: Church Art and the Stone Age Village

Weil lies on the left bank of the Verlorener Bach and along State Road 2052. The town’s history stretches from the Roman origins of the settlement and its name to the prehistoric heritage of Pestenacker. Churches, chapels and archaeological evidence bring these different layers of history to life in specific places. The municipality includes, among others, Beuerbach, Geretshausen, Pestenacker, Petzenhausen and Schwabhausen.

Streamside Landscapes and Views

Southeast of Petzenhausen rises the Weinberg, at 602 metres the highest point in the municipality. From there, you can enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding landscape and nearby church towers. In Pestenacker’s western fields, the broad valley lowland of the Verlorener Bach and Loosbach streams stretches out; the landscape offers a different accent from the historic buildings in the places belonging to Weil.

Those who enjoy walking or cycling will find routes through the Westerholz forest to the Naturfreundehaus. Other walking and cycling tours lead to nearby small bathing lakes. The specific routes may vary. This gives you different interests to consider when planning: forest paths, tours to the lakes, or the history of the churches and settlements.

Churches and Chapels from Different Centuries

Weil’s sacred buildings have a long history: the Rupertskapelle dates from the 9th century and preceded today’s parish church of St. Mauritius. St. Mauritius houses life-size figures of the twelve apostles from the 18th century. The Wolfgangskapelle stands at the western edge of the town. Its masonry Stations of the Cross were created in 1698 by Lorenz Luidl.

The other towns also offer a variety of architectural styles and furnishings. In Pestenacker, the lower part of the tower of St. Ulrich dates from around 1400; it reached its present height of 21 metres in 1710. The church features Wessobrunn stucco and two processional staffs from the 15th century with Late Gothic figures. St. Johann in Geretshausen has Baroque furnishings and a tower with a double onion dome.

Other examples have their own architectural character: the Maria-Aich wooden chapel near Beuerbach is a centrally planned round building dating from 1686; an extension was added to the east in 1824. The Late Gothic St. Leonhard Chapel in Schwabhausen dates from 1478. Petzenhausen’s Frauenkirche is one of the few choir-tower church complexes in the district of Landsberg am Lech. Those interested in architectural history can explore these places through their varied forms and traces of different periods.

Pestenacker: UNESCO Heritage and Stone Age Village

The district of Pestenacker lies around five kilometres north of Weil, also directly on State Road 2052. Since 27 June 2011, its prehistoric settlement has been part of the serial UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.” Archaeologists excavated and studied a settlement of the Altheim culture here.

At the Pestenacker Stone Age Village, you can visit a Neolithic house with a living area and stable, built at full size. Bread is regularly baked in the clay oven. Prehistoric bee houses demonstrate how honey was harvested more than 5,500 years ago. The visitor pavilion displays replicas of the settlers’ pottery, tools, weapons and clothing, and explains archaeological methods. Together, these topics offer different ways to explore prehistory: from living and working to food and archaeological research.

Shape Your Stay Around Your Interests

When choosing accommodation in Weil, you can first consider which of these themes you would like to shape your stay. Pestenacker brings together UNESCO World Heritage, archaeological research and insights into the Stone Age; the churches and chapels spread their architectural and artistic history across several places. Routes through the Westerholz forest and tours to small bathing lakes offer a different focus. These distinctions can help you choose accommodation based on the experiences you would like to put at the centre of your trip.

In the Larger Destination of Landsberg am Lech

The larger destination of Landsberg am Lech offers its own regional highlights in culture and nature. The Bayertor in Landsberg am Lech has stood since 1425 and is considered one of Bavaria’s finest Gothic buildings. Lake Ammersee lies entirely within the district of Landsberg am Lech and offers boat trips, water sports and lakeside promenades. These offerings complement Weil’s local and prehistoric history with distinctive urban culture and lakeside experiences.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Hofstetten, Vilgertshofen, Egling An Der Paar, Windach, Penzing, Fuchstal, Geltendorf and Hurlach.

Go to the overview of the larger destination: Landsberg Am Lech.