Discover Vilshofen an der Donau

Discover the town’s history on foot

A walk around the town square makes Vilshofen’s long history tangible through its visible buildings and memorials. On guided town tours, you can also explore the birthplace of writer Heinrich Lautensack and hear stories and legends about brewer Josef Groll and Knight Tuschl. You can enquire about and book guided tours of Vilshofen by email or phone through the Vilshofen an der Donau Tourist Information Office. As contact and booking arrangements may change, it is best to check directly with the Tourist Information Office.

A separate walk follows in the footsteps of Joseph Groll, the inventor of Pilsner beer. The master brewer from Vilshofen went to Pilsen in 1842 to brew “Pils” for the first time at the new Bürgerliches Brauhaus. Complementing the BierUnterwelten, the town walk has eight stops. It leads through the old town, among other places, to Groll’s birthplace and the house where he died, his first home of his own in the Vilsvorstadt, and the Groll Chapel in Kreppe. If you are interested in this story, this themed walk offers a way to connect several places and stops.

Promenade, art and events

The Danube promenade brings together public artworks and event venues. “Donauwelle trifft Vilswelle”, “Donaubaum” and “Zeitbogen” explore the life of the town through the theme of the Danube and can be seen on a walk along the promenade. You can include these artworks in your walk and take in their different artistic connections to the town.

The promenade is also the venue for the “Schwimmender Christkindlmarkt” and the “Donau in Flammen” promenade festival. If either event is important to your travel plans, check the dates in advance. This allows you to plan your stay around a specific event date without losing sight of the town’s other attractions.

Architecture and monastic life

The Benedictine Abbey of Schweiklberg stands above Vilshofen. Its church is characterised by Art Nouveau, with a subtle neo-Baroque influence. The monastery shop sells products made on site, including beeswax candles and Schweiklberger Geist. The latter is regarded as a tried-and-tested home remedy for many decades and is known as far away as Siberia. If you plan to visit the shop, it is best to confirm the current details in advance.

The Vilshofen–Schweiklberg Chapel Cycling Tour connects several stops related to chapels. These include the Groll Chapel on the Vils in Kreppe in Vilshofen; other stops are the Taferl Chapel on the left bank of the Vils, the Marien Chapel near Grafenmühle, the Hof Chapel in Wenig, the Hindinger Chapel in Walchsing, the Barbara Chapel on the right bank of the Vils, and Schweiklberg. Check local conditions before setting out if you plan to include this route in your itinerary.

Vils Valley, cycling routes and play garden

The Vils Valley Nature Reserve developed into a local recreation area thanks to its attractive, peaceful surroundings. It offers a different kind of experience to exploring the town: here, the focus is on the tranquil setting and the natural landscape rather than monuments and architecture.

The Apple Cycling Route is another way to include Vilshofen in a longer cycling tour. The circular route connects Vilshofen, Aldersbach, Ortenburg, Fürstenzell, Neuhaus, Ruhstorf and Passau. When choosing your holiday apartment, it may be useful to consider in advance whether you plan to spend your stay mainly on town walks, cycling trips, or both; this information does not specify actual distances or journey times.

The Ginkgo Park has a play garden with swings, slides, seesaws and climbing frames. If a particular piece of play equipment is important to your plans, check whether it is available before your visit. As well as historical walks, you can choose a park and a specific place to play as further options for planning your day.

Discover more destinations: Pocking, Neukirchen Vorm Wald, Sonnen, Bad Füssing, Tiefenbach, Kirchham, Breitenberg, Untergriesbach.

Go to the main travel overview: Passau.