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FREISING , the terminus of one of the branches of S-Bahn #1, lies some 35km north of Munich, about halfway towards Land shut, and only 8km from the airport, to which it's linked by bus #635. One of Bavaria's oldest towns, it was the province's spiritual capital during its period as an episcopal see from 739 to 1803, and its name is retained in the title of the local archbishop, who now resides in Munich. Despite its proximity to the state capital, it gives no impression of belonging to commuter-belt land, retaining instead the very distinct atmosphere of a country town, particularly in the centre, where the picturesque Markt and Hauptstrasse , overlooked by the handsome Baroque tower of the Gothic Stadtpfarrkirche St Georg , are lined by colourful mansions of varying dates.

The hill between the River Isar and the centre is known as the Domberg and is a self-contained episcopal quarter centred on the twin-towered Romanesque Dom , whose exterior is covered with a startling coat of whitewash. After this, the interior comes as another surprise, the original architecture masked by a lavish decoration scheme carried out by the Asam brothers in an idiom which belongs to the final phase of Baroque. A few older furnishings, such as the late Gothic choir stalls with busts of the local prince-bishops and the Lamentation group by Erasmus Grasser in the apse of the north aisle, look rather incongruous amid this theatricality. Thankfully, the Asams didn't tamper with the crypt , the resting-place of St Korbinian, founder of the bishopric. Among the pillars supporting the vault of this beautiful chamber is the amazing Bestiensäule , which is festooned with carvings of fantastic animals. The cloisters built onto the east end of the Dom have Rococo decoration by Johann Baptist Zimmermann, as does François Cuvilliés' Bibliotheksaal (May-Oct Mon-Fri 2-3pm) alongside.

At the far end of the cloisters is the Gothic Benediktuskirche . A second and much larger church of the same period, the Johanniskirche , is built right against the front end of the Dom, and is in turn linked to the former Residenz of the prince-bishops, thereby creating a truly monumental complex of interconnected buildings. Occupying a former seminary at the western end of the Domberg is the Diözesanmuseum (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; DM3/¬1.50), the largest ecclesiastical museum in Germany. It features works by many of the leading Baroque and Rococo artists of Bavaria, though its most valuable treasure, gleaming in a dimly lit room, is a Byzantine icon known as the Lukasbild . There are also two magnificent paintings by Rubens of The Adoration of the Shepherds and Pentecost , which originally adorned the side altars of the Hofkirche in Neuburg an der Donau.

West of the town centre is another hill, on which stands Kloster Weihenstephan , a former monastery which is now home to the agricultural and brewing faculties of the technical university of Munich. Its main claim to fame is the Weihenstephan-Brauerei , which has been in operation since 1040, and is thus generally accepted as the oldest brewery in the world. Guided tours (DM3/¬1.50) are run through the present ultra-modern premises from Monday to Thursday, but it's necessary to phone ahead (tel 0 81 61/53 60) to join a group. Otherwise, you can content yourself with sampling the products - of which the wheat beers are the best known - in the Bräustüberl or its beer garden.