Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [334]
Every four years in July the town hosts the Landshuter Hochzeit (next in 2013), one of Europe’s biggest medieval bashes, which commemorates the marriage of Duke Georg der Reiche of Bavaria-Landshut to Princess Jadwiga of Poland in 1475.
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Orientation
The train station is 1.5km northwest of the historical centre. Follow Luitpoldstrasse to the River Isar – you’ll find all the town’s sights on the other side.
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Information
Sparkasse (Bischof-Sailer-Platz 431) A bank.
Tourist office ( 922 050; www.landshut.de; Altstadt 315; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat Mar-Oct, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat Nov-Feb)
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Sights
Coming from the train station, you enter Landshut’s historical core through the broken Gothic arch of the stocky Ländtor, virtually the only surviving piece of the town’s medieval defences. From here, Theaterstrasse brings you to the 600m-long Altstadt, one of Bavaria’s most impressive medieval marketplaces. Pastel town houses lining its curving cobbled length hoist elaborate gables, every one a different bell-shaped or saw-toothed creation in brick and plaster.
Rising in Gothic splendour at the southern end of the Altstadt is Landshut’s record-breaking St Martin Church ( 7.30am-6.30pm Apr-Sep, 7.30am-5.30pm Oct-Mar); its spire is the tallest brick structure in the world at 130.6m and took 55 years to build. Also gracing the Altstadt is the Stadtresidenz ( 924 110; Altstadt 79; adult/concession €3/2, combination ticket with Burg Trausnitz €7/5; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Mar), a Renaissance palace built by Ludwig X which hosts temporary exhibitions on historical themes.
Roosting high above the Altstadt is Burg Trausnitz (Trausnitz Castle; 924 110; adult/concession €5/4; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Mar), Landshut’s top attraction. The 50-minute guided tour (in German with English text) takes you through the Gothic and Renaissance halls and chambers, ending at an alfresco party terrace with bird’s-eye views of the town below. The ticket is also good for the Kunst-und Wunderkammer, a typical Renaissance-era display of exotic curios assembled by the local dukes.
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Sleeping & Eating
DJH hostel ( 234 49; www.landshut.jugendherberge.de; Richard-Schirrmann-Weg 6; under/over 27yr €13.50/17.50) This clean, well-run 100-bed hostel occupies an attractive old villa up by the castle, with views across town.
Zur Insel ( 923 160; www.insel-landshut.de; Badstrasse 16; s €45-90, d €70-95; ) On an island in the Isar, this is a good-value place to kip with simple folksy rooms and a wood-panelled restaurant.
Goldene Sonne ( 925 30; www.goldenesonne.de; Neustadt 520; s/d from €89/125; ) True to its name, the ‘golden sun’ fills a magnificent gabled town house with light. Rooms sport stylishly lofty ceilings, ornate mirrors and flat-screen TVs. For the price, some of the bathrooms could do with an update.
Alt Landshut ( 330 6070; Isarpromenade 3; mains €6-14) Sunny days see locals linger over an Augustiner and some neighbourhood nosh outside by the Isar. In winter you can retreat to the simple whitewashed dining room.
Augustiner an der St Martins Kirche ( 430 5624; Kirchgasse 250; mains €7.50-17) This dark wood tavern at the foot of the St Martin’s spire is the best place in town to down a meat-dumpling combo, washed along with a frothy Munich wet one.
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Getting There & Away
Landshut is a fairly major stop on the mainline between Munich (€13.30, 50 minutes) and Regensburg (€11.30, 50 minutes). There are direct trains every two hours to Passau (€19.90, one hour 20 minutes), otherwise change in Plattling.
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STRAUBING
09421 / pop 44,600