Highlights of the Upper Palatinate Forest

Castles and Churches of the Upper Palatinate

Discover the Castles in Bavaria"s "Burgenland" (land of the castles)
Following the traces of the Staufers, the Leuchtenbergers and the Wittelsbachers

The Upper Palatinate Forest is Germany"s district with the most castles. Hundreds of fortresses were build in the old "Nordgau" of Charlemagne. Some lay in ruins, others show their imposing, weathered face: the Castle of Leuchtenberg for example, visible from far away; or the ruins of Flossenbürg, or the idyllically located Castle of Falkenberg in Walnaabtal Valley. The Earl of Schulenberg completely renovated it in the 1930s. You can visis this as well as other castles and ruins.

Art from the richness of faith
Encounters with Romanticism, Gothic, and Baroque, with wayside shrines and basilica

It is a journey through the artistry of centuries, the encounter with Monasteries, Churches, and Chapels. Famous names come up: The Brothers Dientzenhofer, Giovanni Battista Carlone in Waldsassen, Carlo Demonico Lucchese in Speinshart. The Italians were the migrant workers of art in the 17th and 18th century.
But it"s not only the large churches and pride Basilicas that impress. Quite a few surprises are waiting for you behind unassuming church doors: the "Dance of Death" frescos in Wondreb, the paintings in the charnel houses of Perschen or Mitterauerbach, the Acanthus altars of St. Quirin or Eslarn that Bohemian wood carvers brought across the border. An abundance of art treasuries everywhere...

The Roads of Glass and Porcelain (Glasstraße und Porzellanstraße)

Old Paths - New Ways
Travelling on old pilgrimage routes, on trading roads or on new vacation streets

Of what historical significance this route is: The "Golden Road", constructed in the middle of the 14th century as Charles IV"s trade road between Nuremberg and Prague. It goes right trough the North-East of the Upper Palatinate Forest, bringing riches and wealth to towns and markets. Important junctions and roads started to cover the land, enabling culture to travel along those lifelines. And to these old roads, new ones are added.
The Road of Glass, making you familiar with the centuries-old glass manufacturing of the Upper Palatinate Forest; the modernly marked Road of Porcelain following the trail of the "White Gold"; and the Goethe Road, where the great poet used to ride in his horse carriage.

A Bohemian Encounter

The old neighbourhood comes back to life

In the fall of 1989, the words were passed: Open up the Iron Curtain! Since then, the centuries-old cultural heritage of Bohemia is presenting itself again. It"s perfect for vacationers of the Upper Palatinate Forest: The Golden City of Prague is just a stone"s throw away.
Or how about a visit to the world-famous sanitariums of Franzensbad, Karlsbad, and Marienbad, where Europe"s high society came in the 19th century already for vacation and the healthy waters.
Numerous border crossings invite hikers and bikers for a short trip into the Czech Republic. There is, for instance, the 90 kilometer bike "Trail of Friendship" between Nabburg in the Upper Palatinate Forest and Horsovsky Tyn in the Bohemian Forest.
The imperial city of Eger has been an imperial estate since the days of Friedrich Barbarossa, and "Egerland" was the bridge between Bavaria and Bohemia. Once you"ve seen the Bohemiam Forest with its cultural riches and its natural beauty, you too will say: Na shledanou! See you soon!