Marktl: Cycling Routes, Nature and Papal History

Nature Reserve and Orchard Meadow

The Dachlwand nature reserve on the River Inn covers parts of the municipalities of Marktl, Erlbach and Perach and is about 206 hectares in size. In 1986, it was converted from a landscape conservation area into a nature reserve. The area stated refers to the entire protected area, which includes parts of three municipalities. Its protection history can also be placed in context: its designation as a landscape conservation area was followed by its conversion into a nature reserve in 1986.

Baptismal Font and Places of Remembrance

A special cultural and historical connection leads to St. Oswald’s Church. Josef Ratzinger was baptised on 16 April 1927 in the baptismal font, which had to be removed from the church in 1965 due to renovation work. Since Easter Sunday 2006, the font has once again been used for its original purpose as a baptismal font at St. Oswald’s Church. The passage of time from the baptism, through its removal due to construction work, to the resumption of its use makes the font a tangible anchor for the town’s history.

The Benedict Column in Marktl was erected on the occasion of the papal visit on 11 September 2006 and designed by sculptor Joseph Michael Neustifter from Eggenfelden. A bronze commemorative plaque featuring important historical dates is located at the town hall; it was installed on the tenth anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Marktl. A dove adorns the Town Twinning Square as a symbol of peace and international understanding. It commemorates the ten-year partnership with Wadowice, the birthplace of Pope John Paul II. The column, plaque and dove thus each convey a different message: they commemorate the papal visit and the partnership with Wadowice.

Cycling Routes and a Special Natural Highlight

Marktl is a junction for the Inn Cycle Path, the Benedict Cycle Path, the Traun-Alz Cycle Path and the Inn-Salzach Cycle Path. This brings together four named cycling routes, offering you different starting points for planning your trip. The beekeeper’s educational trail in Marktl offers a different perspective on nature: it leads through an orchard meadow with more than 20 old varieties of apple and pear. The distinction is clear: the cycling paths offer connections to several routes, while the educational trail focuses on a specific landscape and its old fruit varieties.

In the Wider Destination of Altötting

The wider destination of Altötting opens up a landscape of its own: Altötting district lies along the Inn and Salzach rivers. Its landscape is characterised by a plain about ten kilometres wide, through which the Inn flows and which is bordered to the north and south by lush green hills. Together with Mühldorf district, Altötting district belongs to the Inn-Salzach tourism region. Visitor information for the region includes cycling and pilgrimage routes, museums and swimming lakes, among other things.

Altötting itself also offers distinctive cultural themes. St. Anna Basilica is the largest church in Altötting and can accommodate more than 8,000 people. The octagonal structure of the Chapel of Grace in Altötting was probably built around the year 700 and is considered probably Germany’s oldest centrally planned building. The Golden Steed in the Altötting Treasury was made in 1404 in the Parisian court workshops. These architectural and artistic heritage themes in the wider destination thus complement the places of remembrance that define Marktl.

Discover more destinations: Stammham, Unterneukirchen, Garching An Der Alz, Töging Am Inn, Tüßling, Winhöring, Neuötting, Altötting

Return to the main travel overview: Altötting.