All the main sights are within walking distance of the Bahnhof. The Altstadt contains a number of restored canons' houses (the house occupied by a canon, which is a clergyman belonging to the chapter or the staff, a cathedral, or collegiate church) with fine baroque facades along the Hauptstrasse and in the Marienplatz-Rindermarkt area. The Gothic St. George's Parish Church, with its lovely baroque tower, was built by the same architect who designed Munich's Frauenkirche. Opposite, in the former Lyceum of the prince-bishops, is the Asamsaal, a room decorated by the father of the famous Asam brothers, with a fine stucco and fresco ceiling. Tours are offered occasionally; check the tourist office for information.
A 5-minute walk southwest of the Altstadt, at Weihenstephansberg 9, is the Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (tel. 01861/5360; www.weihenstephaner.de), the world's oldest brewery. The monks of the Benedictine monastery of Weihenstephan were granted the privilege of brewing and serving their own beer in 1040, a tradition that, in a much-modernized form, still continues today. If you want to see how the beer is brewed, you can participate in a guided tour that is conducted Monday at 10am, Tuesday at 10am and 1:30pm, and Wednesday at 10am, costing 9€, including a beer tasting. Many visitors, however, prefer to skip the brewery tour and head directly for the restaurant across the street (it's owned and operated by the brewery), the Bräustuben Weihenstephan, Weihenstephansberg 10 (tel. 01861/13004). Open daily from 12:30 to 10:30pm, and charging from 11€ to 25€ for main courses designed to go well with the beer, it's a cozy and folkloric place for a meal. American Express, MasterCard, and Visa are accepted.
Located on the Domberg, a low hill above the Altstadt, Mariendom is a twin-towered Romanesque basilica, constructed between 1160 and 1205. The building is rather plain on the outside, but the interior was lavishly ornamented in the baroque style by the Asam brothers in 1723-24. Egid Quirin Asam designed the interior, and Cosmas Damian Asam created the ceiling fresco of the Second Coming, with its floating figures and swirling clouds. A notable early medieval sculpture is the famous Bestiensäule (Beast Column), an entwined mass of men and monsters. The church's principal feature is the large Romanesque crypt, one of the oldest in Germany, which has survived in its original form.
The 15th-century cloister on the east side of the cathedral was decorated with frescoes and stucco by Johann Baptist Zimmerman. To the west of the church is the Dombibliothek, a library that dates from the 8th century. In the 18th century, the library acquired a lively ceiling fresco designed by François Cuvilliés.
The Diözesanmuseum (Domberg 1; tel. 08161/4879-0; www.dioezesanmuseum-freising.de) is the largest diocesan museum in Germany and contains a comprehensive collection of religious art, including the famous Lukasbild, an exceptional Byzantine icon. The museum's exhibits document the history of the Catholic Church over 9 centuries. It's open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm; admission is 4€.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
