Altötting, Germany

Altötting is a historic pilgrimage town in Upper Bavaria, home to approximately 13,000 residents along the Mörnbach stream. Serving as Bavaria's spiritual center for over 500 years, the town attracted millions of pilgrims to its central Kapellplatz square. The 8th-century Chapel of Grace houses the Black Madonna carved wooden statue and silver urns containing the hearts of Bavarian kings, including King Ludwig II. Surrounding the square stand the Baroque Abbey Church of Saint Philip and Saint James and the neo-Baroque Basilica of Saint Anne. Visitors walk through sacred plazas, explore religious art museums, and experience traditional Bavarian market heritage.