Castles & Monasteries in the Allgäu

Q: "How many monasteries can you see in a day?"

"Two is the realistic maximum for a good day. Three is the ceiling before frescoes and organs start to blur. A good rhythm: one larger monastery in the morning (Ottobeuren or Buxheim), a smaller one after lunch (Rot an der Rot or Maria Steinbach)."

Q: "Where do I buy Neuschwanstein tickets?"

"Only online in advance at bsv-shop.bayern.de. Same-day tickets at the ticket centre are usually sold out in summer. Admission is €21; under 18 and students free. Parking at P1–P4 in Hohenschwangau: €12 for 6 hours."

Q: "Can I visit the castles in the area?"

"Only partly. Schloss Kronburg is privately owned (interior by prior arrangement only). The Mindelburg in Mindelheim is currently closed for renovation; the tower is accessible as a viewing point April to October. The Hohes Schloss in Bad Grönenbach is being converted privately into a hotel and is not currently open — the outer grounds remain accessible."

Q: "Are there English-language tours?"

"Yes — Schloss Neuschwanstein runs English tours on a regular schedule. Basilika Ottobeuren and Kartause Buxheim run public tours primarily in German; individual tours in English can be arranged through the local tourist offices."

Q: "Are there concerts in Ottobeuren in 2026?"

"Yes. The Basilikakonzerte 2026 are on 21 June, 19 July and 20 September, plus chamber concerts and organ recitals from March to October. Tickets through the Ottobeuren tourist office."

Baroque Road · 5 monasteries in 30 minutes · Neuschwanstein 95 km

Tannheim sits directly on the Upper Swabian Baroque Road. Within a short drive are five major monasteries and Baroque churches — Rot an der Rot, Kartause Buxheim, Basilika Ottobeuren, Kloster Ochsenhausen and the pilgrimage church of Maria Steinbach — plus the Rococo library hall at Kloster Schussenried as a longer excursion. Memmingen’s medieval old town, with more than 850 years of history, is ten kilometres away; Schloss Neuschwanstein, as the big day trip, is roughly 95 kilometres and 1.5 hours further.

The Upper Swabian Baroque Road

The Upper Swabian Baroque Road is one of southern Germany’s great themed routes: four signposted paths with around 55 stations, dedicated to the “Heaven of Baroque”. Tannheim sits on the East route; the village church of St. Martin (built around 1700/01) is itself a station.

The main highlights — Kartause Buxheim, Basilika Ottobeuren, Kloster Rot an der Rot, Kloster Ochsenhausen — are 10 to 35 minutes away by car. Two monasteries per outing with a coffee stop between them is the sensible pace; three is the point at which frescoes and organs start to blur.

St. Martin parish church, Tannheim — a station on the Upper Swabian Baroque Road

Baroque heritage

Monasteries and Baroque churches nearby

Kloster Rot an der Rot

6 km · 10 min

First Premonstratensian abbey on German soil, founded 1126. The abbey church of St. Verena (1777–1785) has ceiling frescoes by Januarius Zick; the choir stalls (1689–1693) by Ignaz Waibel, Andreas Etschmann and Hans Heinrich Schlegel are a precursor to those in Buxheim. Free admission.

Kartause Buxheim

9 km · 12 min

Best-preserved Carthusian monastery in Germany, founded 1402. The choir stalls by Ignaz Waibl (1687–1691) rank among the finest Baroque work in Germany. Admission €5, Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00 (April to October), public tour Sunday 14:00.

Basilika Ottobeuren

18 km · 22 min

Benedictine abbey founded 764. The basilica (1737–1766) is a masterpiece of southern German Baroque; the organs by Karl Joseph Riepp (1766) are internationally renowned. Public guided tour Saturdays 14:15, voluntary donation. Concert season June to September.

Kloster Ochsenhausen

30 km · 30 min

Benedictine imperial abbey from 1093. The Gabler organ in St. Georg is one of southern Germany’s most celebrated Baroque organs. Today home to the Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend (state youth music academy). Monastery tours Tue–Sat 14:00, April to October, admission €5.

Maria Steinbach

22 km · 25 min

Rococo pilgrimage church (1749–1755) with the miraculous image of the Sorrowful Mother of God. Rich stucco, hundreds of votive tablets on the walls. Open during the day, free admission. Pilgrimage museum by appointment.

Kloster Schussenried

45 km · 45 min

Former Premonstratensian imperial abbey with one of southern Germany’s most spectacular Rococo library halls (1754–1762), frescoes by Franz Georg Hermann. Managed by Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg — check opening times before visiting.

Memmingen — Free Imperial City and home of the Twelve Articles

Memmingen, 10 kilometres from Tannheim, looks back on more than 850 years of history. The Siebendächerhaus — a late-medieval tanners’ drying-house with seven tiered gables — is one of southern Germany’s most photographed buildings. On the Marktplatz stand the Renaissance Steuerhaus and the painted Rathaus; the leaning Hexenturm is the oldest surviving city tower.

At the Kramerzunft in 1525, the Twelve Articles of the Peasantry — the demands drafted during the German Peasants’ War — were written down here. They are considered one of the earliest written statements of human and civil rights in Europe. Today the “Freiheitsweg” leads visitors through twelve themed stations across the old town.

Memmingen old town — Marktplatz with Steuerhaus and Rathaus

Two destinations

Castles in the region

Schloss Kronburg

8 km · 12 min

Late-Renaissance castle, in the same family’s hands since 1619 (today the Vequel-Westernach barons). The interior is open only to pre-booked groups (April to October); courtyard and outer grounds are generally accessible. The courtyard looks out over the Iller valley; the Kronburg brewery inn is a five-minute walk.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

95 km · 1.5 hrs

Ludwig II’s fairy-tale castle, accessible only with a timed online ticket (€21, bsv-shop.bayern.de). Tip: book the first tour of the day, or an afternoon slot in May or October. The combined ticket with Schloss Hohenschwangau pays off once you’ve made the drive.

Frequently asked questions

How many monasteries can you see in a day?

Two is the realistic maximum for a good day. Three is the ceiling before frescoes and organs start to blur. A good rhythm: one larger monastery in the morning (Ottobeuren or Buxheim), a smaller one after lunch (Rot an der Rot or Maria Steinbach).

Where do I buy Neuschwanstein tickets?

Only online in advance at bsv-shop.bayern.de. Same-day tickets at the ticket centre are usually sold out in summer. Admission is €21; under 18 and students free. Parking at P1–P4 in Hohenschwangau: €12 for 6 hours.

Can I visit the castles in the area?

Only partly. Schloss Kronburg is privately owned (interior by prior arrangement only). The Mindelburg in Mindelheim is currently closed for renovation; the tower is accessible as a viewing point April to October. The Hohes Schloss in Bad Grönenbach is being converted privately into a hotel and is not currently open — the outer grounds remain accessible.

Are there English-language tours?

Yes — Schloss Neuschwanstein runs English tours on a regular schedule. Basilika Ottobeuren and Kartause Buxheim run public tours primarily in German; individual tours in English can be arranged through the local tourist offices.

Are there concerts in Ottobeuren in 2026?

Yes. The Basilikakonzerte 2026 are on 21 June, 19 July and 20 September, plus chamber concerts and organ recitals from March to October. Tickets through the Ottobeuren tourist office.