Destination in Focus – Eichstätt

Eichstätt is a town in the heart of the Altmühl Valley nature park, centrally located in the state of Bavaria. It is home to around 13.000 people, including 5.500 students, which makes Eichstätt the smallest city in Europe with a university.

The first traces of people in the area of Eichstätt are dated to the 10th millennium BC. The roots of the actual town date back to 714 when bishop Willibald founded the diocese of Eichstätt. Over time, the city developed more and more, benefiting from its excellent location between the two biggest cities in Bavaria, Munich, and Nuremberg. The center of the town is full with baroque buildings and the cathedral of Eichstätt, built by Willibald in the 8^th century, thrones from the Domplatz over the city, making it a famous landmark for both travelers and pilgrims.

Today, the town is famous at home and abroad for the so-called Jurassic limestone, the baroque city center with its old residences and the world-known gardens “Hortus Eystettensis”, and especially for the Archaeopteryx, who was found on a hill near Eichstätt.

For years, Eichstätt is one of the most livable cities in Germany. Thanks to companies like Osram (LedVance) & Co., Eichstätt has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the whole country. Also, the proximity to the car manufacturer Audi in Ingolstadt and its many job opportunities help Eichstätt to keep up a high level of living standard.

Quick facts:

• The unemployment rate is the lowest in Germany, at only 1.4%
• Eichstätt has city partnerships with Chrastava, Czech Republic and Bolca/Vestenova, Italy.
• The Eichstätt-based brewery “Hofmühl” has won several gold medals in the World Beer Championship
• The local public transport is with 600.000 guests a year one of the most successful city traffics in a small town in Germany.