The old town at a glance
Many visitors know Dachau only through the memorial site of the former concentration camp. The town itself has a historic center of its own. The old town, the town hall, the parish church of St. Jakob, the palace and the museums are separate destinations, and the old town core is protected as a historic ensemble.
The city describes the town hall, the church, the palace, the picture gallery and the district museum as easy to reach on foot from the old town core. There is no fixed length for a walk, so allow as much time as you like for the streets and squares.
The history of the twentieth century is also visible here. Behind the town hall, memorial plaques remember the Jewish citizens of Dachau who were murdered in the Holocaust. A walk through the old town is more than a look at old buildings.
The town hall
The town hall stands on Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 2 to 6. It was first mentioned in 1486 and rebuilt in 1614/1615. In 1934 the building, which had become dilapidated, was replaced. In 1976 a modern connecting building joined it to the Lebzelterhaus.
The town hall is a working administrative building, not a museum. The city lists its hours as Monday to Friday from 8 am to 12:30 pm, with additional hours on Thursday from 2 pm to 6 pm. These are office hours, not times for guided tours of the interior.
Buses 719 and 720 run from Dachau station to the stop Rathaus, directly at the town hall. The town's artists' trail, described on the artists' colony page, also begins here.
Visiting the memorial site from Munich
Many visitors combine the old town with a guided visit to the memorial site. Only licensed guides may lead tours on the grounds.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Guided visits from Munich
Guided visits to the Dachau memorial site from Munich. Before booking, please check with the memorial site that the guide is licensed to lead tours on the grounds.
The memorial plaques behind the town hall
In the passage that leads from the town hall to the viewing terraces behind it, memorial plaques name Jewish people from Dachau who were victims of the Holocaust. Take a moment for them as you walk through the passage.
The plaques connect the old town with the history that most visitors come to Dachau to learn about. The concentration camp opened on 22 March 1933 on the grounds of a disused powder and munitions factory. US troops liberated it on 29 April 1945. More than 200,000 prisoners were held in the camp and its subcamps, and at least 41,500 of them died. Read more on the history page and on the memorial site visit page.
The parish church of St. Jakob
St. Jakob is the Catholic parish church of Dachau. The present building dates from 1624/1625. Its octagonal tower is 44 m (144 ft) high, and the baroque top of the tower was added between 1676 and 1678. An older sacristy and the square lower story of the tower have survived from earlier building phases. In 1926 the church was extended by one bay.
The choir was built under Friedrich Sustris, and the nave follows plans by Hans Krumpper. On the south side you will find a sundial.
St. Jakob is a parish church in daily use. Please check locally whether the church is open when you visit, and be considerate during services.
A walk through the old town
The main stops within walking distance of the old town core, as named by the city.
Town hall and memorial plaques
Start at the town hall on Konrad-Adenauer-Straße, with the passage to the viewing terraces and the memorial plaques behind it.
St. Jakob
The parish church with its 44 m tower is within walking distance of the town hall. Look for the sundial on the south side.
Picture gallery and district museum
The picture gallery (Gemäldegalerie) is at Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 3 and the district museum (Bezirksmuseum) at Augsburger Str. 3. Both are closed on Mondays and accept cash only. Prices and hours are on the artists' colony page.
Palace and court garden
The walk ends at Dachau Palace and its terraced court garden. See the palace page for hours and admission.
Tourist information and getting there
The city's tourist information is at Karlsberg 1a, in the Zollhäuschen, the small toll house. Its postal address is different: Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 1. It is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. On market Sundays it opens from 11 am to 3 pm. Market Sundays are special dates, not every Sunday.
From Munich, take the S-Bahn S2 to Dachau station, then bus 719 or 720 to the stop Rathaus. The getting there page explains tickets and fares. The memorial site lies in the district of Dachau-Ost and is reached from the station by bus 726. If you plan to visit both on the same day, keep in mind that the memorial site alone needs about half a day.
Dachau old town: frequently asked questions
How do I get to the old town from the station?
Buses 719 and 720 run from Dachau station to the stop Rathaus, at the town hall in the old town.
Where are the memorial plaques in the old town?
In the passage from the town hall to the viewing terraces behind it. They remember Jewish citizens of Dachau who were victims of the Holocaust.
Can I visit the inside of the town hall?
The town hall is an administrative building with office hours Monday to Friday from 8 am to 12:30 pm and Thursday from 2 pm to 6 pm. These are office hours for the administration.
When is the tourist information open?
Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm and on market Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm, at Karlsberg 1a.
How far is the old town from the memorial site?
They are in different parts of town. Both are reached by bus from Dachau station: lines 719 and 720 to the old town, line 726 to the memorial site.