cathedral
Wieskirche
A UNESCO rococo pilgrimage church standing alone in Alpine meadows, an explosion of white-and-gold baroque interior.
8 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeGermanyBavaria
Rottenbuch
Bavaria, Germany · Europe
About Rottenbuch
Rottenbuch works well as a base: 10 minutes from Wildsteig, 18km from Linderhof Palace.
Rottenbuch is in Bavaria, Germany, with about 1,800 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Wildsteig, about 4 km away.
Rottenbuch (German pronunciation: [ˈʁɔtn̩buːx]) is a municipality in the Weilheim-Schongau district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is the site of Rottenbuch Abbey church. Its name stems from a beech tree clearing; it is common in Germany to find place names based on tree clearings. The first historical mention appears inRead more
1073 when Welf I gifts the by then already built Augustinian monastery large lands on both sides of the Ammer river. Supposedly, since around 950, some "Einsiedler" (hermits/ascetics) were already living in Rottenbuch together and following a monastic way of life.
The Romanesque style Rottenbuch Abbey church was constructed between 1085 and 1125. The free-standing tower accompanied by a "crossing transept" is something unusual for a Bavarian church. It was one of the centres of papal loyalty during the Investiture Controversy. Emperor Luois the Bavarian in the 14 century was patron of the abbey, and this as well as its being on the pilgrimage route to Italy, made Rottenbuch become the most influential house of Canons Regular (community of priests) in Germany.
The medieval interior of the church was redecorated in the 18th century to the very ornate High Baroque style by the painter Matthäus Günther and stuccoist Josef Schmuzer.
In 1803, under the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss 1803 (which "secularized nearly 70 ecclesiastical states and abolished 45 imperial cities"), the monastic buildings were pulled down and the noteworthy contents of the library were sent to a paper mill. What was the abbey church became a parish church, which is what remains to the present day.
The village was part of the electorate of Bavaria and formed a closed "Hofmark" (a type of partnership) together with Böbing, Wildsteig, and Schönberg. Through the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss 1803, this Hofmark arrangement was repealed, and the Rottenbuch monastery was dissolved. Nearly all men of the choir had to abandon their posts, and possibly also Rottenbuch entirely.
Out of the remains of the Hofmark Rottenbuch formed, through the passing of administrative reforms in the Kingdom of Bavaria with an edict of 1818, the political municipalities of Rottenbuch, Böbing, Wildsteig, and Schönberg. All of these are under the district court of Schöngau.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Rottenbuch?
Within an hour or so of Rottenbuch: Wieskirche (8 km), Oberammergau (17 km), Linderhof Palace (18 km), Marienbrucke Viewpoint (Neuschwanstein) (25 km).
Are there any good drives near Rottenbuch?
The nearest famous roads are Romantic Road (Romantische Straße), Kesselberg Road and Fern Pass.
Where is Rottenbuch?
Rottenbuch is in Bavaria, Germany, about 4 km from Wildsteig.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,771
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Region
- Bavaria
- Timezone
- Europe/Berlin
- Coordinates
- 47.7333, 10.9667
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for GermanyTags
Worth the detour from Rottenbuch
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Oberammergau
A picturesque Bavarian village famous for its Passion Play performed every ten years and its traditional Lüftlmalerei painted houses.
17 km · about 20 min drive
castle
Linderhof Palace
The smallest of Ludwig II's three palaces, set in ornate gardens inspired by Versailles in the Graswang Valley.
18 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Marienbrucke Viewpoint (Neuschwanstein)
A bridge spanning a gorge with the classic fairy-tale view of Neuschwanstein Castle perched on its crag above the Bavarian forests.
25 km · about 30 min drive
historic highway
Romantic Road (Romantische Straße)
A 460-kilometer route through Bavaria from Würzburg to Füssen passing medieval towns, castles, and Neuschwanstein.
25 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Neuschwanstein Castle
Fairy-tale 19th-century Romanesque Revival castle built for King Ludwig II in the Bavarian Alps.
25 km · about 30 min drive
castle
Hohenschwangau Castle
The yellow neo-Gothic castle where Ludwig II grew up, facing Neuschwanstein across the Alpine lakes of the Allgäu.
26 km · about 30 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
A renowned winter sports and mountaineering hub at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.
28 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Rottenbuch
7 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 60km.
- 25 kmMarienbrucke Viewpoint (Neuschwanstein)A bridge spanning a gorge with the classic fairy-tale view of Neuschwanstein Castle perched on its crag above the Bavarian forests.
- 25 kmRomantic Road (Romantische Straße)A 460-kilometer route through Bavaria from Würzburg to Füssen passing medieval towns, castles, and Neuschwanstein.
- 28 kmGarmisch-PartenkirchenA renowned winter sports and mountaineering hub at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.
- 31 kmKesselberg RoadBavaria's most celebrated driving road: the B11 climbs in tight switchbacks from Kochelsee to Walchensee over the 858 m Kesselberg, a historic hillclimb course beloved by motorcyclists since the 1900s.
- 35 kmZugspitzeAt 2,962 metres, the highest peak in Germany offers panoramic views across four countries from its summit platform.
- 42 kmFern PassA 1,212 m Tyrolean pass on an ancient Roman route (Via Claudia Augusta) between Reutte and Imst, sweeping past the turquoise Blindsee and Fernsteinsee lakes beneath the Zugspitze massif.
Driving in Germany
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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