Discover Freising: Cathedral Hill, art and gardens

Freising combines the historic Cathedral Hill and a historic old town with art venues, gardens and paths through nature. You can focus your stay on architecture and culture, or make time for hiking and cycling tours.

Cathedral Hill and the old town: history in the city

Freising Cathedral on Cathedral Hill has a crypt and the Beast Column. Church music is also part of cultural life at the cathedral: services feature choir, brass, orchestral and organ music. The cathedral music ensembles also host an extensive concert series in the churches on Cathedral Hill; you can check specific dates before your visit.

Around Marienplatz in the historic old town are burghers’ and canons’ houses dating from the Gothic to the Baroque period. The Marian Column on the square commemorates the year 1674. The town museum offers another way to explore the city’s history: it presents around 350 selected objects and groups of objects relating to Freising’s history. The old town and the museum thus offer different perspectives—the city’s architectural heritage and selected pieces in a collection.

The tower of St. George’s Church has an observation platform about 45 metres high. The tower can be climbed from May to October; check current visitor access before planning your climb.

Brewing history and contemporary art

The Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan is the world’s oldest continuously operating brewery and offers brewery tours. The brewery also has a small museum and the adjoining Braustüberl Weihenstephan restaurant. If you are planning a tour or a visit to the Braustüberl, check current dates and availability in advance.

The Schafhof is a centre for contemporary art in Upper Bavaria, hosting year-round exhibitions of works by international and local artists. The annual Johannismarkt and Advent market are also held there, featuring selected artisans presenting high-quality one-of-a-kind pieces. If you are planning around these markets, check the dates for each event.

You can also combine art with a walk in Freising: the Weihenstephan Art Trail passes almost 30 contemporary works by regionally based and internationally acclaimed artists across the campus. It consists of two circular routes, each taking a little over an hour. This estimate can help you decide whether a route fits into your day or whether to allow more time for other stops.

Explore gardens and nature

The Weihenstephan Gardens are located on the grounds of a former Benedictine monastery and are maintained by the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences. The courtyard garden has an observation terrace with views of the Alpine panorama. The five-hectare trial garden for perennials and woody plants assesses the practical value of perennials, woody plants and new rose varieties. The flowerbeds and plantings are currently being renewed; check on the latest status before visiting.

For a nature walk in the Freising Forest, try the roughly two-kilometre forest discovery trail. Its 23 stops include display boards, information and play activities. The Amper Valley in the district of Freising offers a different view of the landscape: it is home to numerous animal and plant species that are especially worthy of protection, including four of the 16 dragonfly species threatened with extinction in Bavaria. The Amper Valley is also designated a landscape conservation area and is used as a local recreation area for hiking and cycling.

Plan cycling and hiking days

For hikers, the 13.5-kilometre Culture & Nature circular route takes in Freising’s main sights. The approximately 11-kilometre Freising Way of St James pilgrimage route starts on Cathedral Hill and is a northeastern approach to the Munich Way of St James. The two routes therefore differ both in length and purpose: one connects sights in Freising, while the other is a pilgrimage route leading to the Munich Way of St James.

There are also route resources for cycling in the district. A cycling map published in 2021 covers the entire local cycle network, the Isar Cycle Route, the Ammer-Amper Cycle Route, which has a four-star rating, and around 20 suggested tours. Since route information can change, check specific routes before setting out. The leisure bus connects excursion destinations across the district and offers an environmentally friendly way to get to cycling tours, hikes and spontaneous day trips. As the service is seasonal, check current routes and operating days before travelling.

This lets you tailor your search to your planned activities without limiting yourself to just one side of Freising.

Discover more destinations

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