St. Anna tells the story of Waal through several construction phases; the castle and the Singold come together at the market square, and a circular hiking trail starts at the spring. Together, these details give a stay in Waal a cultural and scenic setting. Different interests can shape your trip planning: architecture and heritage, a market date, or a trail starting at the Singold spring.
St. Anna and the historic town center
The parish church of St. Anna probably dates from the 14th century. It was remodeled between 1470 and 1510 and acquired a three-aisled hall. “Three-aisled” describes the division of a church interior into three aisles and helps put the remodeling into context as a spatial change. The tower also reflects a later construction phase: it was raised during the Baroque period. The church bell was made by Gregor Löffler, an Innsbruck-based cannon and bell founder who served the Free Imperial City of Augsburg between 1524 and 1544. St. Anna thus brings together several periods: its probable origins in the 14th century, the remodeling of 1470 to 1510, and the Baroque alteration of the tower.
The historic town center is also a point of interest in its own right. It is listed as the Waal ensemble and as an archaeological monument in the Ostallgäu district’s heritage register. The designations refer to two different scales: St. Anna as a single building, and the old town as both an ensemble and an archaeological monument. If you are interested in local history, the church’s construction phases complement the heritage classification of the historic town area.
The castle, market square and Singold
Waal Castle is next to the market square and is the residence of the princely House of von der Leyen. A Kneipp wading facility in the Singold at the market square is a popular stop for families. Different points of interest thus sit side by side at a shared landmark: the residence of the House of von der Leyen and a stop by the water.
The Singold rises in Waal. The town lies in a shallow hollow at the river’s springs, on the edge of the Allgäu landscape. The Waal circular hiking trail also starts at this landmark: it begins in Waal, a town known for its Passion Play, at the Singold spring. The spring and the trailhead give the river both a geographical and a practical role in describing the town. If you plan to hike the circular trail, check local conditions before setting out.
Markets and theater as cultural events
The Waal Arts and Crafts Market draws large crowds and is well known far beyond the district boundaries. In July, it offers a special selection of culinary options. If the market affects your travel dates, check the specific event dates before planning your trip.
A theater highlight from a specific year is 2023, when Manfred Dempf’s play “Who Do You Think You Are?” premiered in Waal. A total of 8,300 visitors attended 20 performances at the Waal Passion Play Theater. These figures relate to theater activity in 2023. The premiere adds a clearly dated cultural moment to St. Anna’s much longer history of construction.
In the wider travel destination of Ostallgäu
In Ostallgäu, the landscape extends beyond individual local landmarks. In the district’s southwest, the mountains are part of the Vilser Gebirge; in the southeast, they belong to the Ammergebirge. At 2,082 meters, Hochplatte is the highest mountain in Ostallgäu. The Forggensee offers a different sense of scale: at more than 15 km², it is Bavaria’s fifth-largest lake and Germany’s largest reservoir. The Forggensee cycling loop runs around the lake, and Forggensee boat trips operate regularly during the summer season. If you plan a boat trip, check the current schedule in advance.
Discover more destinations: Oberostendorf, Rieden am Forggensee, Buchloe, Eggenthal, Halblech, Germaringen, Nesselwang, Biessenhofen.
Go to the main travel overview: Ostallgäu.
