Historic old Town Dachau

Dachau old town

Be surprised and delighted by Dachau's historic domestic architecture, Dachau Palace (the summer residence of the Wittelsbach family) and its court garden, the Stadtpfarrkirche (parish church) of St. Jakob, Dachau's abundant museums and art galleries, excellent views of the provincial capital of Munich and much, much more.

To round off your trip there are lots of opportunities to shop, attend cultural events or sample the regional and international gastronomy. There is something to suit all tastes from traditional Bavarian beer garden or tavern (gasthaus) fare to Italian, Greek, Indian or Styrian restaurants.

We will gladly arrange a guided walking tour of the old town, the Palace, the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site or organise a special tour or maybe a tour in historical costume.
On special buildings of prominence in the townscape, you will find historical plaques with historical information and anecdotes.

Palace and panoramic view
Colourful house fronts of the Dachau historic town centre, Photo: City of Dachau
Historical houses
St. Jakob and the old town, photo: city of Dachau, Florian Bachmeier
Churches and chapels
Gemäldegalerie Dachau (Painting Gallery), photo: city of Dachau, Florian Bachmeier
Galleries and museums
Roßmarktbrunnen, marble, Johann Straßgschwandner, Photo: City of Dachau
Fountains and sculptures
The Dachau castle in a historical view, Photo: City of Dachau
Guided Tours
Café Samstagskinder in Dachau old town, Photo: City of Dachau, Lilly Karsten
Gastronomy and shopping
District Museum Dachau, Photo: City of Dachau
History of Dachau

Historic buildings

On special buildings of prominence in the townscape, you will find historical plaques with historical information and anecdotes.

Dachauer Häusertafeln

Town Hall

Konrad Adenauer Str. 2-6
85221 Dachau

Tel. +49(0)8131 - 750
stadt@‌dachau.de

Public Transport
Bus 719 / 720 (Rathaus)

Opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 08 am - 12:30 am
Thursday add.: 02 pm - 06 pm

The city hall, situated in the heart of the old town, is the seat of the city administration. The original city hall, first mentioned in 1486, was rebuilt in the years 1614/15.

Three hundred years later this building was so dilapidated that it had to be torn down in 1934 and replaced. The rapid growth of the city after the war made it necessary to build a larger city hall.

A modern annex was built in 1976, connecting the city hall of 1934 and the nearby former Confectioners’ House, which had been in the possession of confectioners and candle-makers since the sixteenth century. The new building - awarded a prize by the Association of German Architects - was designed by Prof. Dr. Werner Fauser with works of stone art sculpted by Reinhold Grübl.

In the passageway through to the terraces behind the city hall, which offer a fine view of the city, there are two commemorative plaques for Dachau’s Jewish victims of the Holocaust, as well as works by Dachau sculptors.

Toll House at Karlsberg

Am Karlsberg 1a
85221 Dachau
Tel. +49(0)8131 / 2 72 86 05

Small toll house, where in former times and up to the year 1926 marketeers and tradesmen had to pay toll to enter the market town Dachau.

Photo of former toll house, small yellow house that used to be the toll house of Dachau. Photo: City of Dachau

Former toll house, photo: City of Dachau

Zieglerbräu and Hörhammerbräu

Konrad Adenauer Str. 8
85221 Dachau

ZIEGLERBRÄU WEBSITE

Public Transport:
Bus 720 / 722 (Rathaus)

Dachau's old town was once home to seven brewhouses. The buildings of the Unterbräu, Hörhammerbräu and Zieglerbräu still characterize the appearance of the former market today. The restaurants in the historic old town center experienced their most glamorous period during the times of the artists' colony, when many painters and writers were guests.

Rauffer House

Augsburger Str. 13
85221 Dachau

Public Transport:
Bus 719/720/722 (Rathaus)

Ludwig Thoma had his legal practice in the so-called Rauffer House in Dachau from October 1894 to May 1897.

Ludwig-Thoma-Haus

Augsburger Str. 23
85221 Dachau

Verkehrsverbindung:
Bus 719/720/722 (Mittermayerstraße oder Rathaus)

Nutzung: Veranstaltungsort und Atelier von Christa Spenzer www.christa-spencer.de

At the beginning of the 19th century, the building belonged to the Unterbräu inn on the opposite side of the street. The so-called Unterbräustadel served as a ballroom for events; the Dachau Christmas plays were held here from 1903 to 1906. During World War I, the Unterbräustadel became the the center of Catholic social life. Parts of the library that had been built up there since 1919 were made available to the Dachau concentration camp for a camp library during World War II. In 1933, the NSDAP took over the "Gesellschaftshaus" as an event location.

Dachau's first cinema had its premises here. When this closed, the city of Dachau converted the building into a community and event center in 1973/74; it was expanded and redesigned in 1991/92. The sculpture in the entrance area (stone column with Dachau city silhouette) dates from this conversion phase and was created by Karl Halt Trossbach.

Today, the municipal event house is a center of Dachau's cultural life.

St. Jakob Parish Church

The parish church of St. Jakob dominates the old town of Dachau with its 44-meter octagonal tower and can be seen from afar. The church was built in 1624/25 in the late Renaissance style. It was built on the site of a smaller late gothic church, of which only the sacristy and the square basement of the church tower remain. The baroque tower was erected 1676-78.

The choir was built under the direction of the master builder of the Munich court, Friedrich Sustris, with the nave done according to the plans of Hans Krumpper. An extension was added on in 1926.

Decorating the south side of the building, an impressive 18th century sun-dial not only shows the time of day, but also the month and zodiac as well.

Gottesacker Chapel

Gottesackerstraße | 85221 Dachau

Tel. +49(0)8131 - 36380
The chapel is open during the day.

Public Transport:
Bus 720/722 (Alter Friedhof)

This chapel, like the parish church St. Jakob before it, was designed by Hans Krumpper and built 1627/28.

The octagonol structure is unusual. It was renovated in the years 1992-1995. A memorial in the chapel commemorates Dachau's soldiers who died in the two World Wars.

König-Ludwig-Brunnen

Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 2 - 6
85221 Dachau

Public Transport:
Bus 720/ 722 (Rathaus)

Ignaz Taschner designed this fountain for the market of Dachau in 1910. This masterpiece, also known as the Taschner Fountain or the King Ludwig Fountain, is made of red marble from Ruhpolding and was built in 1919.

The column in the middle is decorated with figures of peasants wearing traditional Dachau costumes.

Market Gates

Bronze reproduction Freising Gate Dachau

Freising Gate, Karl Halt-Trosbach, Photo: City of Dachau

From 1390 to 1891 three bulky gates secured the entrance to the market town Dachau. Today bronze replicas at the original location display where they once bordered the market.

Historic restaurants in the old town

Hospitality in historic walls

Until today, many historic buildings in Dachau's old town, e.g. that of the Zieglerbräu, the Unterbräu, the Kochwirt and the Haus Heidenberger, host gastronomic establishments and invite you to enjoy Bavarian delicacies, Greek delicacies or Italian specialties in the historic ambience.

A selection of gastronomic offers in the old town area can be found here.