Castle Route

Starting point is the parking lot on both sides of the road at Dorfen station. At its eastern end, where remains of a track branching off from the existing railway line can still be seen, the Vilstal cycle path runs on a former railway track. After about 1.5 km, an old diesel locomotive as a Dorfen locomotive monument recalls the railway line Dorfen – Velden, opened in 1898, on which cyclists now travel. The gentle climb continues to the former stop 'Algasing' (information board). At the turning circle we leave the cycle path to the right and follow the street starting here into the village of Eibach. At the main road, turn right uphill and then left at the maypole on a side road towards Taggrub/Schmalhub (signpost). Still in the village, on the right, at a retaining wall, there is a memorial plaque for the former St. George's Church, which stood here from the year 808.

Before the small forest, a bench and a memorial shrine for the best-known Bavarian fruit breeder, the 'Apple Priest' Korbinian Aigner, invite you to a short rest with a wonderful view of the southern slope of the still motorway-free Isental. In the small forest, there is a water house and an information panel about a prehistoric burial mound. We continue following the street to the junction with district road ED 13 and turn left towards Jakobrettenbach. The district road leads us northwards to the widely visible Castle Kalling. The mighty tower, which contains a round church, gives the building a distinctive appearance. The castle, about 300 years old, is privately owned. An information board reports on numerous owners, such as Prince-Bishop Ekher of Freising, whose coat of arms adorns the western main portal.

Continuing north on the district road to Johannrettenbach. At the intersection, we turn left and cycle along district road ED 26 towards Taufkirchen. About 1 km before the start of the town, turn left at the signpost 'Flaring / Waldbad'. The street leads past the outdoor pool back to the Vilstal cycle path, into which we turn right about 150 m before B 15 towards Taufkirchen. At the steel bridge over the Vils and the path next to it lies the Weidendom by the Erdinger artist Harry Seeholzer, hidden behind bushes on the left. The work of art, extended annually, is worth a detour.

At the track remnant at district road ED 26, a memorial stone shows a historic image of a derailed steam locomotive. There we cross Kellerstraße and, after a few meters, leave the Vilstal cycle path to the left towards the sports ground. We circle the sports field on the west and north sides and reach the other bank of the Vils via a bridge. We cycle along the castle moat first on the south side and then on the west side along the castle. The water castle Taufkirchen, first mentioned in a document in 1263, is privately owned, but in large parts—as well as the castle park—used culturally by the community, local clubs and the adjacent Isar-Amper-Klinikum. We continue westwards along Bräuhausstraße to Landhuter Straße (B15), which we cross at the pedestrian light, then turn left along Schulgasse to Pfarrweg. At the end of Pfarrweg, keep right on the bus parking lot and thus find the new building of the Prehistoric Museum on Attinger Weg, attractively located near an annex of the State Realschule. Founded by Peter Kapustin in 2008, the museum shows fossil treasures from 180 million years, dinosaur models, landscape reconstructions, etc., and is worth a visit. It is open Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 1:00 p.m. or 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Further information at www.urzeitmuseum.de.

After the museum, the route leads through the new school grounds onto Attinger Straße (ED 26). We continue on this street in the same direction to Eldering. In the village, a side road branches off to the left towards Großwimpasing. After overcoming the long ascent, at the next junction on district road ED 28 turn left into the village of Großwimpasing. After about 300 m, turn right and cycle about 1 km winding uphill to a forest area. At the forest edge, turn left at the next junction and go steeply downhill on a paved path to Oberbierbach. Although the name might suggest a popular beverage, it derives from the old local name Biberbach. We leave the village to the left and turn right at the following street junction towards Maria Thalheim. The church of Oberbierbach, like almost all churches on the route, lies on a hill where the seats of local nobility (nobiles) were previously located.

At the pilgrimage church Maria Thalheim with splendid Rococo interior, we follow the main road to the left, leave it again at the next right bend straight ahead towards Kleinthalheim and follow the signposts—once left, once right—to Fraunberg. In the village, the road leads onto a cross street, where we later turn left in a southward direction towards Grünbach to the last castle of our route. Before that, we make a detour right to the north to the castle. After 200 m, turn left on the main road in front of the church and see the entrance to the water castle Fraunberg about 100 m on the right, one of the oldest water castles in Bavaria. Since its foundation in the 13th century, the castle has been privately owned by the baronial family von Fraunberg and has been extensively restored by them to its current charming state.

We take the same route back and head south via Singlding to Helling. Before the transformer house, turn right towards Grafing/Grucking. After just under 1 km, before the bridge over the Strogen, leave the paved road and turn left onto a field path. This path runs south near the meandering Strogen and offers picturesque views of the stream landscape. When wet, parts of this path with ruts and grass turf in between can cause problems. At the next junction, turn right uphill and reach the village of Aurlfing with splendid views towards the west. From there, continue south on a paved road crossing the heavily trafficked federal road B 388 to Hecken. After the church, turn left towards Grünbach. In Grünbach, pass the church (left) and the maypole (right) and see in front of you the Grünbach Castle with Bräustüberl and beer garden. The castle dates from the Biedermeier period and housed a federal plant breeding institute until 2001. From the castle, return to the maypole and church and then follow the sign to the left towards Oppolding. The three churches of Oppolding, Eschlbach and Hörgersdorf were elaborately furnished in the Rococo period and belong to the art treasures of the district. Before Oppolding, turn right towards Riedersheim and follow the road to Schwabelsöd, arriving in the forest on district road ED 15. Here, turn right to Maierklopfen. Before the village, at the roundabout, continue left eastwards through Hörgersdorf (church with splendid, recently renovated interior) to Unterhofkirchen. After the church in Unterhofkirchen, before the stately baroque parsonage, turn right downhill to Landersdorf. There, leave the church, whose bell tower can still be seen from the Munich Olympic Tower, to the right and turn left on the main road towards Dorfen. At the edge of town begins a roadside cycle path, which after 500 m leads to a road turning right. We take this road downhill with a beautiful descent to Zeilhofen, of whose former castle and Franciscan monastery nothing remains, and continue straight to Oberdorfen.

In Oberdorfen, turn right and reach the Sempt-Isen cycle path after the church hill, which leads us from the west through the historic market square of Dorfen with its three city gates and the church of St. Vitus. In 1910, the "Dorfen Beer War" took place here. When the price of a Maß was to increase by two pfennigs, the pubs of both breweries were set on fire, and the fire spread to other houses. In Munich, pioneers were put on alert but did not come into action as the price increase was withdrawn.

We leave Dorfen through the eastern city gate and reach the former railway line of the Vilstal cycle path via the Sempt-Isen cycle path. Here, turn right and soon return to our starting point, the Dorfen station.

Author: Leo Rauschecker