Places to See in Landsberg
The photos of the sights in Landsberg am Lech in the gallery below are arranged in rows of four, each of which can be seen by clicking the coloured numbers. To see a larger version of a sight and the associated description and history, click on the relevant thumbnail.
This is a view of the main square of Landsberg, with the Maria fountain (Marienbrunnen) from the 18th century in the foreground and the historic Town Hall in the background.
The Schmalzturm is one of the oldest parts of the original town walls and fortifications and is located at the edge of the main town square. It gets its name from a market which was held at the base (Schmalz is a German term for lard or dripping).
These former warehouses, now converted into private dwellings, served as storage for the salt trade (Landsberg was an important stop on the Salt Route). These buildings were built in the 18th century but there were also older buildings which served the same purpose in this area.
Another one of the old town gates - there is another behind the position where this photo was taken (the Dyers' Gate).
Some of the town walls still standing - this is part of the former dyeworks. As with the old tanning and dying houses in the Witches' Quarter, the industrial processes were unpleasant for neighbours, so they were kept on the outside edge of the town.
The Town Museum is located above the main town square near the Church of the Holy Spirit - it contains exhibits relating to local history as well as displays of artworks from the area.
The witches' quarter, or Hexenviertel, doesn't actually refer to any historical witch trials - it was a nickname given to the female painters of the early 20th century who used this historic area in their work. It is actually part of an area used for tanning and dying (thus the wooden construction in the area which was used for drying).
The weir at Landsberg was originally built in the 14th century. The Lech is a fast-flowing river and part of it was diverted through Landsberg so that wares could be transhipped onto the raft traffic. This diversion was also an important power source for water mills in those days.
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