Between the Inn and Salzach rivers, the Altötting district reveals a landscape of contrasts: a plain about ten kilometres wide, through which the Inn flows, is bordered to the north and south by lush green hills. In Altötting itself, churches and museums add a distinctive cultural focus; wetlands and trails also shape the district’s character.

River Landscapes and Protected Habitats

The Dachlwand nature reserve on the Inn lies northwest of Marktl. It covers parts of the municipalities of Marktl, Erlbach and Perach and measures about 206 hectares. In 1986, the area was converted from a landscape conservation area into a nature reserve. Its name, location and history make Dachlwand a tangible example of the different landscapes found in the district.

Another important natural area is the internationally significant wetland and nature reserve “Lower Inn between Haiming and Neuhaus.” It provides a habitat for migrating, overwintering and nesting marsh and water birds. More than 25 different bird species associated with water and wetlands nest there. Migration, overwintering and nesting are therefore all explicitly cited functions of this same protected area.

Trails from the Gries to the Inn Cycle Path

In Altötting’s Gries, visitors can discover two attractions with different features: the circular trail is about 1.4 kilometres long, while the nature trail runs along a stream and offers ten interactive stations. For a longer hike, there is the permanently signposted Georg-Brenner Trail. It is ten kilometres long and leads south of Altötting to the district of Unterschlottham. The Way of St. James also crosses Altötting from north to south.

For cyclists, the Inn Cycle Path is a longer route through several towns: one popular option runs from Neuötting through Altötting and the extensive Ötting Forest to the ducal town of Burghausen. It then passes the confluence of the Inn and Salzach rivers on its way to Marktl. The section in the Inn-Salzach region is just over 75 kilometres long. As current detours may apply, it is advisable to check the route before setting off.

Together with the Mühldorf district, the Altötting district is part of the Inn-Salzach tourism region. Visitor information for the region includes, among other things, cycling and pilgrimage routes, museums and bathing lakes. Perach bathing lake is one of the lakes listed by the district. Check the facilities and conditions on site before your visit.

Churches, Artworks and Museums

St. Anna’s Basilica is the largest church in Altötting and can accommodate more than 8,000 people. In the Chapel of Grace, attention is drawn to the octagon: it was probably built around the year 700 and is believed to be Germany’s oldest centrally planned building. Both historical claims are deliberately qualified—the date and the distinction are presented as suppositions.

Altötting Treasury houses the Golden Steed, crafted in the Paris court workshops in 1404. Thus, different historical milestones stand side by side in Altötting: the presumed date of the chapel’s octagon and a precisely dated work of art from the early 15th century.

The Brother Konrad Museum offers visitors access to the Old Gate and Brother Konrad’s death cell. Brother Konrad’s meeting rooms can also be visited, and admission is free. These specific rooms and places of remembrance complement the city’s sacred architecture.

At the Incense Museum, visitors learn about the craftsmanship involved in making incense, along with other interesting facts. As visiting arrangements may change, check them before your visit. Alongside the churches, the treasury and the Brother Konrad Museum, the Incense Museum broadens the perspective on Altötting’s diverse cultural attractions.

Discover more destinations: Tüßling, Burghausen, Altötting, Garching an der Alz, Burgkirchen an der Alz, Unterneukirchen, Neuötting, Haiming, Winhöring, Emmerting, Marktl, Pleiskirchen, Töging am Inn, Feichten, Reischach, Perach.

To the broader travel overview: Bavaria.