Nordschleife "Sprudelnde Quellen" - Heilige Landschaft Pfaffenwinkel

Daily stage 1: Hoher Peißenberg - St. Leonhard - Paterzell, 12 km

The first stage of the northern loop of the Pfaffenwinkel Sacred Landscape long-distance hiking trail takes us from Hoher Peißenberg to Paterzell, through dense forests, enchanted moorland and past numerous churches, chapels and wayside shrines. Even here we realize how the Pfaffenwinkel got its name. We marvel at the baroque church near St. Leonhard im Forst, the majestic "Old Linden Tree" near Linden and hike through a picturesque forest with the Ulrichsquelle spring to Paterzell, which marks the end of our route.

Daily stage 2: Paterzell - Wessobrunn - Raisting, 14 km

The second stage of the Pfaffenwinkel North Loop Sacred Landscape long-distance hiking trail takes us from Paterzell through the Eibenwald nature reserve and via Wessobrunn to Raisting. The monastery complex in Wessobrunn, a good third of which has been preserved, is impressive. The well house and the Tassilo lime tree are also worth a visit. Some fragments of the Wessobrunn monastery have even made it to the National Library in Munich, including the Wessobrunn prayer, which is considered to be the oldest German linguistic monument with Christian content. Shortly before Raisting, we catch sight of the radome, the large earth station that has made the community famous beyond the region's borders. In the village itself, the parish church of St. Remigus is another sacred highlight to marvel at.

Daily stage 3: Raisting - Fischen - Herrsching am Ammersee, 14.5 km

The third stage of the Pfaffenwinkel Sacred Landscape long-distance hiking trail takes us via Fischen to the Ammersee. You should plan a little time on the way from Raisting to the Ammersee, because in addition to the impressive landscape, which is characterized above all by the extensive Ammer meadows, the Ammer itself and of course the Ammersee, there are also some buildings and museums to visit. In Sölb, for example, there is the beautiful filial church of St. Margareta, in Fischen the Maria-Hilf chapel and the copper museum, where you can marvel at the history of copper craftsmanship, and just before Herrsching, the baroque Mühlfeld Castle. The numerous beach cafés on the Ammersee offer relaxation. Here you can simply relax and unwind.

Daily stage 4: Herrsching - Andechs - Kerschlach - Pähl, 15.8 km

From Herrsching, we hike on the fourth stage of the Pfaffenwinkel Sacred Landscape long-distance hiking trail through the Kiental valley, a gorge cut into the Nagelfluh up to 70 m deep, to Andechs Monastery. On the way to Andechs, we swap the flat terrain of Lake Ammersee for forest, meadows and gentle hills. You should take enough time to visit the famous Andechs Monastery and enjoy a good drop of beer and delicious regional delicacies in the monastery tavern. The history of the monastery dates back to the tenth century and it is still very well preserved today thanks to extensive restoration work. It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the delicacies from the monastery kitchen, as the route takes us away from Andechs Monastery and on to Pähl. However, the view over Lake Ammersee and the hilly landscape of the Pfaffenwinkel, which we experience along the way, makes up for it. Other highlights along the way include the small Hartkapelle chapel, whose history resembles a short thriller, and the Kerschlach estate with its farm store, bakery/café and beautifully landscaped monastery garden. In Pähl itself, the high castle and St. Laurentius Church are particularly worth seeing.

Stage 5: Pähl - Wilzhofen - Marnbach - Weilheim, 21 km

Puff is required - the 21 km of the fifth stage from Pähl via Wilzhofen and Marnbach to Weilheim will test your stamina. In return, we are rewarded with many beautiful views over the magnificent Hardtland landscape and in some places as far as the Alps, sights and green forests and meadows. Architectural highlights await us in Weilheim, including the parish churches of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. Pölten, the Marienplatz square and the well-preserved town wall. The so-called "Museum of the Pfaffenwinkel" is also worth a visit. Exhibits from the region are presented there and the history of the Pfaffenwinkel is explained in more detail.

Day stage 6: Weilheim - Polling - Peißenberg, 12.4 km

The sixth stage of the Pfaffenwinkel North Loop Sacred Landscape long-distance hiking trail takes us from Weilheim to Peißenberg. If we didn't have time to visit Weilheim after the long fifth stage, the shorter sixth stage gives us enough time to stroll through the pedestrian zone and across Marienplatz, visit the parish church of Mariae Himmelfahrt and marvel at the church of St. Pölten - the oldest church in Weilheim, whose origins date back to the 8th century. We then make our way to Peißenberg. On the way, we meet the Ammer again and can visit the monastery village (Kloster Heilig Kreuz) in Polling and the collegiate church of St. Salvator of the Augustinian canons.

Daily stage 7: Peißenberg - St. Michael - Hoher Peißenberg, 6.2 km

The last stage of the Pfaffenwinkel Sacred Landscape long-distance hiking trail takes us back to our starting point on Hoher Peißenberg via a short but strenuous route. Fresh legs are certainly not a bad thing for the ascent to Hoher Peißenberg, but not a must, as the almost 6 km and 400 m difference in altitude can also be tackled quite comfortably. The higher we get, the better the view over the Pfaffenwinkel becomes and we can once again see the region that we have been able to explore on foot over the last few days.

Hiking map Pfaffenwinkel, scale 1:40,000, HW-Verlag, nominal fee 1 EUR, available from the Pfaffenwinkel tourist office, www.pfaffen-winkel.de