Highlights of the Upper Palatinate Forest

Castles and Churches of the Upper Palatinate

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

The Upper Palatinate Forest is Germany's district where you find the most castles. Hundreds of fortresses were build in the old "Nordgau" of Charlemagne. Some are 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 which the Earl of Schulenberg completely renovated it in the 1930s.

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

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 proud 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 holiday roads

This route is of major historical significance: The "Golden Road", constructed in the middle of the 14th century as Charles IV trade road between Nuremberg and Prague. It crosses through the North-East of the Upper Palatinate Forest, bringing wealth and riches 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 Glass Road familiarizes you with the centuries-old glass manufacturing of the Upper Palatinate Forest; the newly signposted Porcelain Road follows the trail of the "White Gold"; and the Goethe Road leads you along the route where the great poet used to travel.

A Bohemian Encounter

The old neighbourhood comes back to life

In the fall of 1989, these words were spoken: Open the Iron Curtain! Since then, the centuries-old cultural heritage of Bohemia presents 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 health resorts of Franzensbad, Karlsbad, and Marienbad, where Europe's high society came for vacation and thermal waters in the 19th century.

Numerous border crossings invite hikers and bikers for a short trip to 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 unsed to be imperial estate in the days of Friedrich Barbarossa, and the "Egerland" has been the bridge between Bavaria and Bohemia ever since. Once you've seen the Bohemiam Forest with its cultural riches and its natural beauty, you too will say: Na shledanou! See you soon!