The Church of St. Jakob (Stadtpfarrkirche St. Jakob) crowns the old town hill alongside the Dachau Palace, its bulbous onion tower visible from the valley below. The current building dates largely from the 18th century, though the site has been a place of worship since the medieval period. The interior is warmly baroque, with frescoed ceilings and carved altars typical of the Upper Bavarian style.
The church is the spiritual and architectural centrepiece of the old town, and its position next to the palace gardens gives it a fine setting. Mass is still held regularly. The exterior terrace beside the church offers good views across the rooftops toward the Amper valley and, on clear days, the distant line of the Alps. Open daily; free to enter.