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Perched high on the banks above the Inn River is the abbey of Sts Marinus und Anianus, a masterpiece of Bavarian Rococo. Between 1758 and 1763 Johann Michael Fischer rebuilt the church, incorporating the Romanesque east towers into his design. The soaring interior is impressive with its daring spatial design and fine decoration.

Situated on a rise surrounded by deep natural ditches, the palace lies just south of the town of the same name. From the outside, the palace looks like a medieval fortress. Its large cloistered courtyard dates from the second half of the 16th century. Noted for its excellent acoustics, the courtyard is a regular venue for summer concerts.

Built in 1715, this Baroque church belonging to the Benedictine abbey is well worth a visit. A Roman memorial stone from AD 204 is incorporated in the imposing church entrance. Limburg, the seat of the Hallgrafen dynasty, was formerly located near the monastery. By relocating its principality to Wasserburg in 1137, the family caused the cultural flowering of that town.

Wasserburg benefits from its location on a spoon-shaped promontory in the Inn River. Typical of the Inn region, the old town is distinguished by wide, open squares lined with arcaded, leafy walkways. Its streets are lined with old houses with colourful painted façades, pretty bay windows, and stepped gables. All these elements give Wasserburg an Italian air. For a stunning view of the old town, head to the Schöne Aussicht (beautiful vista) lookout on the opposite side of the river. A wonderful path lined with works of art runs along this stretch of the Inn.

This former Augustine Canons’ seminary, with its early Baroque abbey, was built by Gaspare and Domenico Zucalli between 1661 and 1690. The interior is decorated with lavish stuccowork.

The Au monastery, founded by the Augustine Canons in the 12th century, occupies an idyllic spot on a bend in the Inn River. It was reconstructed after a fire in the 18th century. The former library, decorated with frescoes, is a highlight of the complex, which is now also home to a restaurant with an attractive beer garden.

This picturesque town, which lies on a peninsula in the Inn River, was an important trading post during the Middle Ages. The old town is defined by the 500-m- (1,650-ft-) long market square flanked by houses typical of towns along this river – those with romantic arcades and stepped gables. City gates mark the ends of the square. The Nagelschmiedturm, with its Romanesque basement, is worth seeing.

Bavaria’s oldest pilgrimage site, Altötting lies on a hill near the right bank of the Inn River. A small, octagonal chapel with a central aisle, the Holy Chapel dates from 750. It was subsequently expanded by a nave. In the interior, a silver tabernacle set into a shell-lined niche on the eastern end contains the votive image of “Our Dear Lady of Altötting” – a revered Black Madonna (c. 1300) carved from linden wood. Another feature of interest is the panorama re-creating the view from Golgotha in Jerusalem at the time of the Crucifixion, which is located in a domed structure east of the town centre. This is a monumental depiction of the Passion of Christ, with life-life figures in the foreground representing the stations of the cross.

Burghausen experienced its heyday in the Middle Ages when it was a centre of the salt trade and, occasionally, the Wittelsbachs’ second seat of government. The enormous castle, one of Germany’s largest, is fascinating. Built in 1255, it was added to and became a fortress at the end of the 15th century. Other highlights include the Gothic Jakobskirche, the 16th-century town hall, and the 18th-century Schutzengelskirche, all on the market square.

This is one of the most beautiful small towns in eastern Bavaria. After the salt trade collapsed, the town succeeded in preserving its historic image. Two city gates lead to a trapezoidal town square with stuccoed houses. A 13th-century castle set on the hill above the town gives a fine view of the surrounding countryside.