Freising is called the cradle of Bavarian Christianity. One of the first churches in the south of Germany was established here, and the history of the cathedral here dates back to the 8th century. The city also houses the largest church museum in the country and the oldest brewery in the world.
In the early Middle Ages, these areas were inhabited by the Bavarians. One of their most important settlements was located on the site of today's Freising. One of the first churches in Bavaria was built here. As early as the 8th century, Freising was a bishop's seat, and the first cathedral stood on the cathedral hill.
St. Mary and St. Korbiniana is the most valuable monument of Freising. It is a Romanesque building with two towers and crypts containing, among others, tomb of the missionary St. Korbinian. The interior was rebuilt in the 18th century and received a magnificent Rococo décor by the Asam brothers. The entire vault is covered with an illusionistic polychrome, the walls are covered with stucco and bas-reliefs. Next to the cathedral, there is the building of the theological seminary, where the lecturer was Józef Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI. It is also home to the Dombergmuseum, which has the largest collection of religious art in Germany.
In addition to the monuments associated with the cathedral, Freising also has a nicely preserved Old Town with a market square with the Column of Mary, the Church of St. George and the Church of St. Michael and the Old Prison. There are also a lot of historic tenement houses, including half-timbered houses. Another attraction of Freising is the Weihenstephan brewery, considered to be the oldest still existing brewery in the world. Its historic part is open to the public.
