Etappe 2, Nordschleife, Heilige Landschaft Pfaffenwinkel - Von Paterzell nach Raisting

Safety instructions: A country road must be crossed at Hanslehen, some caution is advised.

Equipment: Sturdy shoes, clothing suitable for the weather, possibly a rucksack with food.

Further information and links: Gemeinde Wessobrunn

Gemeinde Raisting

Way description: We start our tour in Paterzell on the Quellenweg, which we leave in a westerly direction into the forest. We cross a large clearing, continue through the forest and finally reach Wessobrunn. There we follow the Zöpfstraße to the north, passing the memorial stone with the Wessobrunn prayer, which can be found in the town center under some old lime trees. Shortly afterwards, we arrive at the monastery, which is famous for its magnificent stucco work by the stucco artists of the Wessobrunn school. The bell tower - known as the gray duke or Roman tower - is still preserved from the Romanesque monastery church. Another remnant of the monastery complex is the 17th century well house with water from the three Wessobrunn springs. The famous Tassilo lime tree stands on the monastery wall. It is a natural monument and is said to be around 1000 years old. According to legend, Duke Tassilo had a dream under it in the year 753 in which he saw a spring whose water flowed in four directions and from which a ladder led to heaven from which angels ascended and descended. Peter stood at the top of the ladder and sang an office. The next day, Tassilo searched for the spring until his hunting companion Wezzo found springs in the shape of a cross. The duke understood his dream as a heavenly directive and had the monastery built on the site of the springs in honor of Peter.

After visiting the sights of the monastery village, the Schloßbergstraße continues in a north-easterly direction. We cross an extensive wooded area, emerge from the forest after around 4 km and then cross the Rott to our left, whose stream meanders through the surrounding fields. There is another rest stop at the bridge. The path now leads us directly to Raisting.

Impulse stations Holy Landscape Pfaffenwinkel on this stage (from summer 2015):

• Klosterhof Wessobrunn
• Rastplatz Stiller Wald
• Rastplatz an der Rott vor Raisting

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