Eichstätt: Fossils, History and Culinary Delights

Fossils from the Solnhofen limestone, a castle steeped in history and a garden with native plant species: Eichstätt offers different ways to explore its history and landscape. Whether you prefer to explore exhibitions, take a closer look at a historic building or spend time outdoors, the sights give your trip a range of possible focuses.

Fossils in the museum and outdoors

The Jura Museum in Eichstätt focuses on fossils from the Solnhofen limestone. It also displays the original Eichstätt specimen of Archaeopteryx. This gives anyone interested in fossils the chance to focus both on the rock and on a specific original specimen. The exhibition can also be combined with a stay in the city, without following any particular itinerary.

The Eichstätt Fossil Trail offers a different experience: the moderately difficult circular route is 9 kilometers long and designated as family-friendly. Its length, difficulty level and circular route format can help you decide whether it fits your day’s plans. Anyone particularly interested in collecting fossils can also visit an amateur fossil quarry on the Blumenberg near Eichstätt, right next to the Marienstein children’s village. The museum, trail and quarry offer different ways to explore the same subject; be sure to check the quarry’s visitor conditions before making plans.

Willibaldsburg Castle: Dimensions and history

Willibaldsburg Castle was built in 1355 by Bishop Berthold Burgrave of Zollern and served as the bishop’s residence until 1725. The 420-meter-long castle still has its walls and bastions, the armory, the 63-meter-long gate hall and the Gemmingen building with its two towers. These measurements give a sense of the scale of the complex: the gate hall is a single, clearly identified part of a much longer castle. Along with its long history as a bishop’s residence, this offers a concrete impression of how architecture and historical function come together in Eichstätt.

The 1,500-square-meter Bastion Garden is also located at Willibaldsburg Castle. The Hortus Eystettensis, destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, was brought back to life there after 400 years. Visitors can discover many of the garden’s original plant species. The garden complements the castle’s stone remnants with a different perspective on history: here, the focus is on plants and the revival of a historic garden.

City history and regional cuisine

Domplatz is located on the oldest settled ground in the city of Eichstätt. This historical connection can be considered alongside impressions of Willibaldsburg Castle, without assigning both places to the same era: Domplatz points to the city’s early settlement, while the castle, built in 1355 and later used as a bishop’s residence, tells a story spanning a different period.

The local cuisine also offers a reason to shape your stay around a particular interest. Several times a year, Eichstätt’s Genuss-Wirte (culinary hosts) serve special dishes under the motto “Eichstätt kocht...” (“Eichstätt cooks...”), including spicy dishes made with Altmühltal lamb. If you would like to plan your trip around this offering, it is worth checking the relevant dates. This lets you include the culinary idea in your plans without assuming a particular event date.

Eichstätt and the wider natural landscape

For a regional perspective, it is worth looking at the district of Eichstätt: the district’s area forms the heart of Altmühltal Nature Park. More than 80 percent of the district lies within the nature park, offering a place for recreation and leisure amid scenic natural beauty. The Altmühltal Cycle Route also passes through the district of Eichstätt. This information can help orient a trip that takes in not only individual sights, but also the natural landscape and cycling; it describes the district and does not necessarily indicate the location of each individual attraction in Eichstätt.

Anyone particularly interested in fossils can consider the museum, circular trail and quarry as different options. For a broader regional search, the information about the district may also be useful.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Nassenfels, Wellheim, Dollnstein, Beilngries, Mörnsheim, Eichstätt, Denkendorf, Großmehring, Schernfeld, Kösching, Titting, Lenting, Kipfenberg, Kinding, Pollenfeld, Mindelstetten, Böhmfeld, Altmannstein, Oberdolling, Gaimersheim and Pförring.

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