Wasserburg am Inn

The Inn loops almost completely around a rock spur here, leaving a narrow neck, and the old town fills the peninsula so the river is visible at the end of most streets. Wealth came from river traffic in salt, wine and timber; the town was a staging point on the route down the Inn. The houses are built in the Inn-Salzach style, with flat fronts and parapets hiding the roofs behind, a form that came up the river from the south and gives the streets an Italian look unusual for Bavaria. A wooden bridge crosses to the gate, and the old town has kept its late Gothic and Renaissance frontages.

History

A document of 1137, now thought a forgery, records Hallgraf Engelbert moving his residence from the nearby castle of Limburg to his Wasserburg, "water castle". One of the most historic towns of Old Bavaria, it stood where the main overland route met the river and became a great trading centre with the Balkans, Austria and Italy; its bridge was the only crossing of the Inn for 30 km either way, salt from Berchtesgaden and Bad Reichenhall was loaded onto ships here, and until the 17th century it served as the river port of Munich (Wikipedia, Wasserburg am Inn).

What you'll find

• The river loop - a town on a peninsula almost surrounded by water.
• The Inn-Salzach fronts - flat facades with parapets hiding the roofs.
• The bridge and gate - the single narrow approach into the old town.
• The Gothic town hall - a stepped-gable civic building on the square.

When to go

April to October; the town is quiet and rarely crowded. Museums close Mondays. The river path around the loop is pleasant in mild weather.

Things to know

The town is small and seen in a couple of hours. There is little in the way of major sights beyond the streets themselves. Parking is outside the neck.

Nearby

Rosenheim lies south; the Chiemsee is southeast.

Key facts