Warzenried: Trails, Border Traces and Church Art

Warzenried is a border village where walking and hiking trails, religious art and border history come together. Cycling routes also pass through the village, connecting it to longer routes. Historical events and religious traditions add further facets to the village. Which of these you want to shape your holiday is a helpful starting point when looking for a holiday apartment.

Walking Trails and Border Traces

The Warzenried Bankerlweg offers opportunities for walking and hiking in the former municipality, with views and places to sit. This makes it possible to combine exercise with breaks outdoors. Those interested in border history will find another point of interest on the Ek07 hiking trail, the Schanzgrabenweg: Along the Schanzgraben, remnants of defensive ramparts can still be seen in a few places. These surviving structures make the historical border connection visible at specific points.

Church and Religious Tradition

The Herz-Jesu Expositur Church brings together several phases of construction and furnishing. It was built in 1858–1859 and extended in 1896 and 1957. The sanctuary, renovated in 1997, includes a stained-glass image of the Good Shepherd; the church also features stained-glass windows. The individual dates give the church a specific building history, while the image and windows draw attention to its design.

Religious customs are also associated with Warzenried. During the Martiniritt on 6 November 2022, 153 horses and their riders paraded through the border village. A parish report dated 21 August 2022 also describes the traditional Hahnenberg pilgrimage procession of the Warzenried Expositur: On a Sunday in August or September, it makes its way to the weather cross on Hahnenberg. The two customs have distinct routes: one procession passes through the village, while the other leads to a specific weather cross.

Cycling Around Warzenried

Cycle Tour 2 runs from Eschlkam through Ritzenried, Unterfaustern, Neukirchen b. Hl. Blut and Warzenried to Neuschwarzau and Seugenhof, before returning to Eschlkam. Neuschwarzau lies directly on the border with the Bohemian Forest. The EuroVelo 13 cycling route also passes through the Bavarian Forest, from Waldmünchen via Warzenried to Železná Ruda. The places and routes mentioned make it easy to distinguish between the two cycling options: Cycle Tour 2 starts and ends in Eschlkam, while EuroVelo 13 connects Waldmünchen via Warzenried with Železná Ruda.

More Things to See in the Wider Eschlkam Destination

In the wider Eschlkam destination, other attractions complement the themes found around Warzenried. The Waldschmidt Association’s permanent exhibition in Eschlkam documents Maximilian Schmidt’s life and career through personal items, documents, books, display panels and models. The Schwirzer Monument is a granite figure commemorating the Schwirzer, also known as Pascher: they smuggled goods such as tobacco, salt and oxen across the border at night.

Art is also one of Eschlkam’s attractions. The art trail on Leminger Höhe near Eschlkam features six works on the theme “Border Encounters – Paths Between East and West.” The art pavilion near Stachesried features large-scale paintings. These places offer a different focus from Warzenried’s trails, church and border traces.

Around the Drachensee, there is a circular trail of about 10 kilometres for pedestrians and another of about 11 kilometres for cyclists. Both take in not only the lakeshore but also scenic features in the surrounding area. Around three quarters of the Drachensee reservoir area lies within the city limits of Furth im Wald and about one quarter within the municipality of the market town of Eschlkam. Another cycling loop through the market town of Eschlkam is 25 kilometres long and includes 480 metres of elevation gain; check the local route information before setting out.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Warzenried, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on: walking and hiking trails, religious and historical themes, or cycling routes with specified itineraries. The circular trails and cultural sites in the wider Eschlkam destination offer an additional part of your plans. Choose where to stay based on which attractions you want to shape your holiday.

View the wider travel overview: Eschlkam.