Spiegelau: Steinklamm Gorge, Glassmaking Tradition and Natural Kneipp Facility
Accommodation in Spiegelau
In Spiegelau, impressive natural scenery and a long history of glassmaking sit side by side. In Steinklamm Gorge, the Große Ohe rushes between rocks and water-worn potholes; at the same time, the local quartz deposits and the wood of the Bavarian Forest tell of a glassmaking tradition that dates back to the 15th century.
Steinklamm bei Spiegelau im Naturpark Bayerischer Wald im Frühling 2
Photo: Marco Schönberger via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Steinklamm Gorge and its waters
Steinklamm Gorge is a deep rocky ravine between Spiegelau and Grafenau. The rushing waters of the Große Ohe, water-worn potholes, moss-covered rocks and diverse plant life shape the scene. The gorge brings together the power of the water and the visible marks it has left in the rock.
The Spiegelau natural Kneipp facility also makes water part of the experience: you can take Kneipp walks in the mountain water of the Schwarzach. A paved ramp makes the facility accessible to wheelchair users. This is a concrete difference between the nature experience at the facility and the scenery of Steinklamm Gorge: one is about Kneipp walks, the other about the rock formations and the Große Ohe.
QR codes are installed along all hiking trails in Spiegelau. Use your smartphone to access information about sights and the history of Spiegelau. This lets you take in nature and local history together as you go, rather than viewing the hike simply as a path through the landscape.
Glassmaking as part of local history
Since the 15th century, people in Spiegelau have used local quartz deposits and wood from the Bavarian Forest to make glass. Local history thus links two raw materials with the craft that shaped the town. For visitors, this historical perspective offers a different way to discover Spiegelau than Steinklamm Gorge: alongside the landscape, it also focuses on the town’s long relationship with glass production.
Nature and culture in the wider destination of Freyung-Grafenau
The Bavarian Forest National Park extends into the district within the wider destination of Freyung-Grafenau. It opened on 7 October 1970 as Germany’s first national park. The 2024 zoning map designates 75.37 percent of its area as natural zones.
Another landscape in the wider destination of Freyung-Grafenau is the Buchberger Leite Wildbachklamm gorge. There, steep rock ridges force the boulder-strewn, cascade-filled Wolfsteiner Ohe into a deeply confined channel. Remnants of primeval forest have survived in the moss- and fern-rich gorge woodlands. An eight-kilometre themed hiking trail runs through the gorge between Freyung and Ringelai; information boards and an accompanying brochure complement the route.
Cultural sites also offer insight into the history of the wider destination of Freyung-Grafenau. Freyung is home to the Schramlhaus, built around 1700. It is now the oldest farmstead in Freyung and, in its original condition, one of the oldest in Freyung-Grafenau district. More than a hundred original examples of reverse glass painting, a form of sacred folk art, are housed there. The Schramlhaus is also home to the Wolfsteiner local history museum.
Find the right holiday apartment for your interests
When looking for a holiday apartment in Spiegelau, you can start by considering which themes you want to shape your stay: Steinklamm Gorge and its waters, Kneipp walks and information along the hiking trails, or the history of local glassmaking. If you would also like to include other landscape and cultural themes from the wider destination of Freyung-Grafenau, you can incorporate this regional perspective into your plans without conflating it with what Spiegelau itself has to offer.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Perlesreut, Grafenau, Neuschönau, Waldkirchen, Saldenburg, Fürsteneck, Mauth.
Back to the overview of the wider destination: Freyung-Grafenau.
