Dietramszell: Monastery Churches and Chapels
Accommodation in Dietramszell
Discover Dietramszell through its monastery, pilgrimage and church art. Frescoes, altars and chapels tell stories of different periods and styles. Two circular routes offer further perspectives on the associated municipality. It is worth distinguishing between the locations: Maria Elend is around one kilometre south of Dietramszell, while the other sites described are part of circular routes in the municipal area.
Church Art and Monastery History
The dome fresco in the pilgrimage church of St. Leonhard was painted by Christian Wink. The altars and pulpit are also the work of Philipp Rämpl; according to the traditional description, they represent his greatest and finest work. The fresco, altars and pulpit make distinct contributions to the same church: the dome painting is attributed to Wink, and the altar furnishings and pulpit to Rämpl. Anyone interested in the artists’ names and contributions will find several specific points of reference here.
The former monastery church of the Assumption of Mary is now the parish church in Dietramszell. Johann Baptist Zimmermann, Franz Xaver Schmädl and Philipp Jakob Rämpl all contributed to its interior furnishings. Together with St. Leonhard, it offers an overview of different artistic contributions: three people are named as contributors to the interior furnishings here, while the creators of a fresco, altars and pulpit are identified there. The church of St. Martin has also served different functions over time: it was formerly a parish church, is now a monastery church and was built in 1717.
Chapels and the Pilgrimage Church of Maria Elend
Maria Elend is in the vicinity of Dietramszell, around one kilometre south of the village, on a forest path. On the east side of the pilgrimage church is a Baroque wooden gallery, beneath which almost all the surviving votive paintings are now gathered. To the west, a Rococo altarpiece rises above the altar. These two details provide clear points of reference inside the church: the gallery and votive paintings on one side, and the altarpiece above the altar on the other.
The name Elend also has a local explanation: in the local dialect, it is pronounced “illat.” Its origin is traced through the forms “alilanti” and “elilanti”; the meaning is given approximately as “other land,” “foreign land,” “borderland,” or land outside the municipal boundary.
The two chapels at the Kreuzbichl cemetery church differ in location, date of construction and purpose. In 1641, Provost Georg Wagner had a chapel with a tower built on the west side of the late Gothic church, in honour of the Mother of God of Einsiedel in Switzerland. The Totenkerker Chapel on the south side was built in 1666, sold to the von Schilcher family in 1826, and serves as a family crypt.
Circular Routes in the Associated Municipality
The circular route from Dietramszell Monastery passes the pilgrimage church of Maria Elend and the Zeller Forest before reaching the GrĂĽnen Marter. It then follows a forest path past a large gravel pit to the PelletsmĂĽhler gravel road; from there, the return route descends in the direction of the monastery. This sequence helps with orientation: the church and forest are on the outward leg, while the gravel pit and gravel road come later on the loop. The route passes through the municipality of Dietramszell and visits places outside the village of the same name.
Another circular route, Peretshofener Höhe, leads from St. Leonhard via Großegelsee, Humbach and Steinsberg, over the heights and on to Peretshofen. From the heights, there are expansive views of the mountains and the Alpine foothills. The two routes therefore differ mainly in their named waypoints and the explicitly mentioned viewpoint. When choosing a route for your stay, you can use these places and the respective route as a guide; trail conditions may change.
More Routes in the Wider Destination
In the wider destination of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, the Tölzer Land health climate park has 37 routes on a network of more than 340 kilometres between Bad Heilbrunn, Bad Tölz, Kochel am See, Wackersberg and Lenggries. This is a regional offering and should not be confused with the circular routes in the associated municipality. Also at the level of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, six signposted Nordic walking routes are part of the walking offer; they range from 2 to 8.6 kilometres in length. Route numbers and network details may change and should be checked again when planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Hechenberg, Linden, Benediktbeuern, Schlehdorf, Eurasburg, Icking, MĂĽnsing and Lenggries.
Back to the wider travel overview: Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.
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