Discover Thal: St. Vitus and trails in the surrounding area

Thal has a clear cultural and historical landmark in the branch church of St. Vitus. The surrounding area also offers hiking routes and the Middle Isar Reservoirs Bird Sanctuary. Together, these provide architectural history, archaeological and landscape topics to suit a range of travel interests.

St. Vitus: architectural history and furnishings

Thal has had parochial rights since the 9th century; 826 or 896 are cited as possible dates. The branch church of St. Vitus is dedicated to Saint Vitus, also known as Veit. The oldest surviving part of the structure is thought to be the Romanesque walls of the nave. In the second half of the 15th century, the nave was raised in the Late Gothic style. The building therefore brings together a likely Romanesque core and a specific Late Gothic alteration.

The furnishings also offer several clear points of interest: three historic bells hang in the tower, two dating from 1600 and one from 1674. A ceiling painting in the nave depicts the four Evangelists. The building phases, bells and painting offer different ways to discover St. Vitus—from its architecture to its works of art.

Hiking trails and birdlife in the surrounding area

In the area around Thal, the Landshut Höhenwanderweg is a hiking route with display boards on archaeological sites, churches, castles and secular buildings, with content that has been carefully researched. The Landshut Höhenwanderweg’s E3 circular route runs from Eching to Weixerau and includes a nature trail. Its themes range from architectural and archaeological heritage to nature education. Before setting out, it is advisable to check the route conditions.

In the area around Thal, the Middle Isar Reservoirs Bird Sanctuary is part of the European Natura 2000 network of protected areas. It is internationally important as a stopover and passage area, and nationally important as a breeding ground. This adds a clearly defined birdlife and nature conservation focus to the hiking and cultural themes.

Eching: church architecture and the Isar reservoir

In the wider destination of Eching, the parish church of St. John the Baptist makes its own architectural statement. It is a barrel-vaulted hall church with numerous windows and an elaborate altar made of scagliola. Clearly visible from afar, it stands beside the reservoir-like stretch of the Isar and on the edge of a valuable bird sanctuary. By comparison, St. Vitus in Thal is distinguished by its likely Romanesque walls, the Late Gothic raising of the nave, its bells and ceiling painting; in Eching, the vault, windows and scagliola altar take centre stage.

The Middle Isar Reservoirs Bird Sanctuary is part of the European Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Key habitats include the Middle Isar Canal and the reservoirs near Moosburg and Eching, as well as the Isar and its adjoining alluvial woodland areas. The area covers 5.7 square kilometres and lies approximately equally within the districts of Freising and Landshut. At the Eching Reservoir, the observation tower and the southern dam path offer interesting views of wildlife throughout the year.

Choose accommodation based on your travel interests

Eching adds its own church architecture and opportunities to observe wildlife at the Eching Reservoir to the regional selection. This lets you focus your search on the places and topics that matter to you for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Haunwang.

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Eching.