Discover Illertissen: Castle, museums and garden culture

Illertissen brings together a Renaissance landmark, unusual museum experiences and expansive gardens. The museum combines personal art history and biographies with multimedia presentations; the Museum of Garden Culture complements the impression of the town with designed outdoor spaces. Other highlights include the carillon at St. Martin’s and a point of interest for cyclists on the Iller Cycle Route. When choosing accommodation, you can decide whether the castle and museums, garden visits or a varied mix should be the deciding factor.

Castle, town history and museum experiences

Vöhlin Renaissance Castle is Illertissen’s landmark and a striking cultural focal point. The various exhibitions at Illertissen Museum offer different perspectives: the “Kempter Cabinet” showcases works and personal belongings of the artist Caroline Kempter (1856–1925). The “Object Planet” brings together numerous exhibits from Illertissen and a series of biographies. Personal art history and insights into the life of the town are presented side by side.

A multimedia, interactive “Archive Wall” brings together exhibits, screens and information, complemented by illuminated paintings in the room. The museum also has a dedicated “Stamp Printing Workshop” for children. St. Martin’s Parish Church adds another highlight: since 2006, its tower has housed a carillon with 51 bells and a repertoire of around 250 melodies. The different themes range from art and biographies to a unique musical collection.

Explore garden culture

At the Museum of Garden Culture on the Jungviehweide estate, a permanent exhibition is combined with an extensive range of gardens. The exhibition “Longing for Gardens” takes visitors through the eras of southern German garden culture and opened in mid-2025. The museum also includes a library, an aroma workshop and immersive indoor and outdoor spaces. The grounds feature more than twenty themed gardens; the museum gardens cover 2.5 hectares.

You can explore the museum gardens on walks, on regular guided tours or with the “GartenKult” museum app. The exhibition, indoor spaces and gardens offer different perspectives on garden culture. There is also a museum café on site. Those looking for a garden-focused stay will find several different themes gathered together in one place.

Culture, cycling and a different kind of break

The carillon and the gardens also offer different options for planning your day: one is a unique instrument with a repertoire of around 250 melodies, while the gardens invite you to focus on themed gardens and garden culture. For cyclists, Vöhlin Castle is another attraction along the Iller Cycle Route. It can serve as a cultural point of interest when exploring the route.

Nautilla offers a change of pace: its sauna area regularly features special infusions with select aromas. Services and details may change, so check the latest information before visiting. This makes it possible to combine an interest in museums and gardens with another activity focused on relaxation, without committing to a fixed itinerary.

More highlights in the wider Neu-Ulm travel destination

In the wider Neu-Ulm travel destination, the Edwin Scharff Museum in the heart of Neu-Ulm offers its own cultural highlight: it brings an art museum and a children’s museum together under one roof. Visitors of all ages can take part at the hands-on experiment stations. At Plessenteich, an observation tower offers views of resting or nesting birds in every season. These experiences complement the museum and garden themes described in Illertissen with hands-on activities and nature watching at other locations in the Neu-Ulm travel destination.

Choose accommodation to suit your plans

When looking for accommodation in Illertissen, it helps to decide on the main focus of your trip first: combining the castle, church and museum visits calls for different priorities than a stay with plenty of time for garden culture. The Iller Cycle Route may also be important when planning if cycling is one of the activities you have in mind. This way, your choice of accommodation can reflect the experiences that interest you most in Illertissen.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Buch, Elchingen, Roggenburg, Senden, Neu-Ulm, Weißenhorn, Altenstadt and Vöhringen.

Back to the main travel overview: Neu-Ulm.