St. Michael, Romanesque church in Altenstadt, Germany

St. Michael is a Romanesque church in Altenstadt with a floor plan defined by two towers flanking the main apse. The building is constructed from precisely cut stone and displays classic features like a high central nave, side passages, and supporting pillars that run the full length of the interior.

The church was built between 1180 and 1220 and kept its original Romanesque character while many other Bavarian churches were redesigned in later centuries. This stability makes it an uncommon example of unaltered medieval architecture in the region.

The church is dedicated to the archangel Michael; the tympanum of the west portal shows a warrior fighting a dragon, read as good against evil (1 Peter 5:8). The papal coat of arms on the north portal tympanum recalls the elevation to basilica minor, proclaimed in 1966. The high altar came in 1717 from the Hohenpeißenberg pilgrimage church.

The church is located in Altenstadt on Triebstraße and is visible from outside, but access to see the interior depends on opening hours and services. Check ahead before visiting, as it may not always be open to individual visitors.

The ten nave pillars have a quatrefoil ground plan: a square core with four engaged half-columns, while the two pillars carrying the towers are cross-shaped for stability. The inner rolls continue upward as shafts to the transverse arches, whose imposts are carved with fabled beasts and masks. The capitals show incised foliage, rosettes and stars.