Unterreitnau: Church, History and Cycling Routes

In Unterreitnau, the parish church of St. Urban and St. Silvester, its pilgrimage tradition and the memory of the Thirty Years’ War represent very different chapters in the town’s history. Cycling routes that pass through Unterreitnau add to the picture. If you like to consider architectural history and active pursuits together when planning a trip, you’ll find both here—with tangible traces of history rather than interchangeable sights.

A parish church with several building phases

The Catholic parish church of St. Urban and St. Silvester is a listed building. The lower part of its tower probably dates from the 14th or 15th century, while the choir and west wall of the nave date from the late 15th century. The church was enlarged in 1690, when the Joseph Chapel was added. These parts of the building reveal a history spanning several centuries; a single construction date would therefore not do justice to the building’s history.

The church dates back to an old Premonstratensian monastery and was probably built before 1400. Its miraculous image also speaks to a long religious significance: the image in the side altar was probably created around 1420 and was the destination of numerous pilgrimages. The cautious dating leaves room for uncertainty, while the recorded pilgrimage tradition gives a clear impression of the role the image played for the faithful.

Memorial sites and ecclesiastical history

The plague cemetery on the present-day road from Unterreitnau to Bechtersweiler commemorates the plague epidemics during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648). It was established after 341 people died in Unterreitnau and there was not enough room to bury everyone in the cemetery by the parish church. The number of deaths and the need for an additional burial site make the cemetery’s history particularly poignant.

Near Unterreitnau, the small St. Michael’s Chapel on Taubenberg has been part of Unterreitnau ecclesiastically since 1831. Bruggach and Taubenberg had applied to separate from Wasserburg in 1830; King Ludwig I approved the request on 9 July 1831. The chapel’s history thus adds a chapter of its own on the ecclesiastical affiliation of the surrounding places to the parish church’s architectural history.

The annual concert of the Unterreitnau music band is also part of the recurring yearly calendar: it always takes place on the eve of the first Sunday of Advent. If you’d like to combine your stay with the concert, check the date for the year of your trip.

Cycling tours with different highlights

The Lindau Lake Constance Panorama Cycling Loop runs via Hengnau and Rickatshofen to Unterreitnau, then toward Taubenberg and on to Bodolz. The route passes orchards and vineyards; in Unterreitnau, you can stop for a meal at a restaurant. The route therefore links a series of named places with a landscape shaped by fruit growing and vines, as well as a place to stop in town.

Another option is the Degersee-Badhütte Tour, which offers a possible detour to the church in Unterreitnau, whose lower tower probably dates from the 14th or 15th century. The two cycling tours have different highlights. One offers the option of a detour to the church; the other describes the route, orchards, vineyards and a place to stop in Unterreitnau.

Culture in the wider destination of Lindau (Lake Constance)

In the wider destination of Lindau (Lake Constance), the Cavazzen offers a different way to explore history. The patrician house on Lindau Island dates from 1729/30 and was built by Swiss master builder Jakob Grubenmann. The Haus zum Cavazzen is a Baroque patrician palace in the middle of Lindau’s Market Square; since 1930, it has housed the Lindau City Museum. The Cavazzen Museum also gives children insights into the region’s history.

Another topic in cultural history is the Former Imperial Free City Library of Lindau. The library museum is located in the Old Town Hall and displays the library, which was founded in 1538. Its collection comprises around 13,000 volumes from the Early Modern period; it is the largest historic municipal and civic library on the northern shore of Lake Constance. In Lindau (Lake Constance), the history of museums and libraries thus stands alongside the architectural and pilgrimage traditions that define Unterreitnau.

Plan your stay around your interests

In Unterreitnau, the parish church, pilgrimage tradition and the cycling routes mentioned above take center stage. If you’d also like to include the architectural and museum history of the wider destination of Lindau (Lake Constance), you can take this broader cultural context into account when planning. Check event dates and current tour information if you’re planning your stay around a concert or a particular route.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Reutin, Bad Schachen, Aeschach.

Back to the main travel overview: Lindau.