Wieskirche

A carved figure of the Scourged Saviour, assembled from parts and put in storage as unfit for processions, was taken in by a local farming family, and in June 1738 the woman of the house reported seeing tears on it. Pilgrims came, a chapel proved too small, and Dominikus Zimmermann built the present church between 1745 and 1754 with his brother Johann Baptist painting the ceiling; the two worked to dissolve the distinction between architecture, stucco and paint so the walls appear to open into sky. Dominikus moved to a house nearby and stayed until his death. UNESCO listed it in 1983. It stands alone in meadow with the Alps behind.

What you actually see

• The oval nave - a rococo interior where paint, stucco and structure merge.
• The ceiling fresco - a painted sky opening above the columns.
• The meadow setting - a church standing alone with Alpine views.
• The pilgrimage figure - the carved Scourged Saviour on the altar.

When to go

April to October; the church closes to visitors during services, which are frequent, and coach groups arrive through the middle of the day. Early morning is quietest.

Honest expectations

It is one building in a field with limited facilities. Access without a car is awkward. Services interrupt visiting several times a day.

Nearby

Füssen lies south; Oberammergau is east.