185
Above Schloss overlooking the Danube, Neuburg
an der Donau Below Arcaded courtyard of
Schloss Neuburg, Neuburg an der Donau3 Bergen
Bavaria; 86633
Nestled in the rolling countryside
between the Danube and Altmühl,
this sleepy village is worth a detour
to see the pilgrimage church of Heilig
Kreuz, whose elegant white-and-gold
Baroque interior by the Eichstätt court
architect Giovanni Domenico Barbieri
dates from 1756. Be sure to visit the
Romanesque crypt; water from the
well in the north aisle was once
believed to have healing properties.
ª Return to the T-junction, then turn
left and head to Nassenfels. Take
Eichstätter Strasse, pass Adelschlag
to get on to the B13, following signs
to Eichstätt.DRIVE 17: Jurassic Crags and Feudal Fiefdoms
Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under €20; moderate, €20–€40; expensive, over €40Visit the Schlosskapelle 3 (open daily),
a little further to the right, before
enter ing the palace. The first purpose-
built Protestant church in Bavaria, it is
decorated with frescoes. The arcaded
inner court yard, or Schlosshof, boasts
faded murals depict ing scenes from
the Old Testament. Created by Hans
Schroer sometime after 1555, the
murals remained long buried
beneath a coat of paint and were
only redis covered in the 1960s. The
palace houses the Schlossmuseum
(closed Mon), whose varied exhibits
include the Bavarian state collection
of Flemish Baroque painting, with
works by Rubens and Jacob
Jordaens. Inside the Schloss,
the grandest room is the
Renaissance Rittersaal, or
Knights’ Hall, in the north
wing, with a heavy wooden
ceiling and stout stone
columns. Return to the
palace entrance and stop
for refresh ments at the
Vivat 4 , a wine bar oppo-
site, then ascend the gen tle
slope of Amalienstrasse,
which is lined with town-
houses from the 16th–18th
centuries. Halfway along
Amalienstrasse is Karlsplatz, around
which Neuburg’s principal civic
build ings are ranged. These include
the late-Renaissance Hofkirche Unsere
Liebe Frau (Court Church of Our Dear
Lady), the Rathaus 5 or town hall –
a Renaissance palazzo built by Josef
Heintz and Alexander Pasqualini
between 1603 and 1609 – and the
Rococo Provinzialbibliothek 6 or
provincial library (guided tours on Wed).
Dating from 1731, it has a Baroque
hall on its upper floor. The neigh bor-
ing Weveldhaus 7 is a fine exam ple
of a nobleman’s town house. Built in
1517 and raised by one story in 1713,
it has graceful stucco ceilings and
houses the Stadtmuseum (Mar–Dec:
closed Mon) with well-presented
displays on the town’s history.
Continue along Amalienstrasse to
reach the Obere Tor 8 , a Renaissance
gate way whose terracotta-colored
gable marks the western exit from
the Obere Altstadt. Decorated with
Neuburg’s heraldic crest, it depicts
Ottheinrich and his brother, Philipp.
Pass through the gate to Wolfgang-
EAT AND DRINKINGOLSTADT
Gaststätte Daniel inexpensive
Ingolstadt’s oldest restaurant, dating
back to 1471, provides an atmospheric
setting for traditional Bavarian cooking
and Herrnbräu beers.
Roseneckstrasse 1, 85049; 0841 352 72;
closed Mon
Kuchlbauer Biermuseum inexpensive
Rustic beams and masses of brewing
paraphernalia ensure that this “beer
museum” lives up to its name. Try the
ox marinated in strong beer with a
mug of the delicious, dark Kuchlbauer
Vollbier Dunkel.
Schäffbräustrasse 11a, 85049; 0841 355
12; http://www.biermuseum-ingolstadt.de;
closed MonNEUBURG AN DER DONAU
Neuwirt inexpensive
Seasonal produce, including
Schrobenhausen asparagus, potatoes,
and game, feature on the menu of this
restaurant, which serves local beers.
Färberstrasse 88, 86633; 08431 20 78;
http://www.neuwirt-neuburg.de; open until
midnight; closed TueWilhelm-Platz and the Hützeldörr,
the southern por tion of the garden.
Return to the Obere Tor, pass
through the gate and turn
right into Herrenstrasse 9 ,
which has some fine
historic houses. It leads to
the Luitpoldstrasse parking
lot via Landschaftsstrasse.
ª From Luitpoldstrasse,
head north over
Elisenbrucke, following
signs for Eichstätt. After a
few kilometers, turn left at
the sign for Bergen.Column in Karlsplatz,
Neuburg an der DonauReformation and
Counter-Reformation
Neuburg’s pragmatic rulers straddled
the religious divisions of 16th- and
17th-century Germany. Ottheinrich
con demned Lutheranism in 1522
but converted in 1542; a later Count
Palat inate, Wolfgang Wilhelm (1578–
1653), conver ted back to Catholicism
to inherit his mother’s estate.