Google-Maps Oberpfälzer Wald

The Upper Palatinate Forest

Arrive and feel great!

A countryside that carries its harmony and calm to its guests: that"s the Upper Palatinate Forest. A feeling of vastness comes from its softly curved forest hills; wildly romantic valleys, for instance the "Waldnaab" with its huge granite blocks.
A monastic church of baroque splendor here, the ruins of a knight"s castle there. Witnesses of the past can be found here with every step. Along with a special kind people, eager to share the beauties of their home country with others; why not with you as a visitor! So use the rich possibilities of leisure activities, accept your invitation to one of the numerous festivals, and try the local specialties. Just enjoy the "Lifestyle" of the Upper Palatinate Forest!

Under the green roof of Europe

Far-reaching vistas from the mountain tops, the look-outs, and the castle ruins: Tree tops, as far as the eye can see. Easy to see why the Upper Palatinate Forest forms the green roof of Europe, together with the Bohemian and the Bavarian Forest. And that means: healthy forest air, an extensive net of hiking and biking trails, large areas for mushroom and berry pickers. Try it out for yourself.

Land of the Thousand Waters

The Forest and the Waters are closely connected in the Upper Palatinate Forest; this is nature at its purest form. Watching the ponds" surfaces light up in the evening sun will sooth your soul. The fishing ponds around Tirschenreuth, the "Rußweihergebiet" (pond Rußweiher area) at Eschenbach, between Schwarzenfeld and Schwandorf just cannon be counted.

Just as innumerable are the creeks and rivers, joyfully bouncing on the green, moss-covered rock rims or flowing calmly in wide basins. Luces and sheatfishes hide between the granite blocks in the rivers; Bluebreast and bitterns find their home in this large nature resort. There is a lot to discover, so bring your binoculars and a camera.

Rich in stones...

"Stone Palatinate" was once used to describe the Upper Palatinate Forest. Collection stones was part of the laborious rural life, and sometimes, more stones than potatoes on the fields. The region is littered with traces of ancient geologic time: Granite, Millions of years old, everywhere you look! Sometimes it piles up to downright "rock giants", for example in the Steinwals ("stone forest"), near the ruins of Schellenberg and Flossenbürg, or is Stadlern at the Bavarian-Bohemian border.

The imposing, bizarre-looking blocks of granite have always inspired legends of the Upper Palatinates: You can hear about the devil"s butter churn, the nymphs" rock, or the chamber car. Grant yourself the time and take a closer look at the stone faces. At Wolfenstein near Hohenwald (around Tirschenreuth) two petrified dinosaurs will stare back at you.