Hohenburg: Church, Juniper Hiking Trail and Bat House
Accommodation in Hohenburg
Hohenburg: Church, Hiking Trail and Bat House
Hohenburg brings together three distinct things to explore: the parish church of St. James combines Romanesque, Late Gothic and Baroque elements; the Juniper Hiking Trail follows the slopes of the Lauterach Valley; and the Hohenburg Bat House focuses on greater horseshoe bats. This gives you a clear thematic guide when choosing a holiday apartment: would you like your trip to focus on architecture, hiking landscapes or observing nature? The wider Amberg-Sulzbach destination offers additional cultural and landscape themes.
Church Architecture and Bat Conservation
One of Hohenburg’s attractions is the parish church of St. James. Romanesque, Late Gothic and Baroque elements bring together different styles. For travellers interested in architecture, its appeal lies in this diversity: the church cannot be reduced to a single style.
Infrared cameras at the Hohenburg Bat House enable live observation of greater horseshoe bats. It is also home to a maternity roost of this species. A maternity roost is a summer roost where bats give birth to and raise their young. The opportunity to observe the bats, along with the summer roost, makes the Bat House a distinctive focus for nature and species conservation in Hohenburg.
Hiking in the Lauterach Valley
From its starting point in Schmidmühlen, the Juniper Hiking Trail reaches the municipality of Hohenburg after about 11 km. It follows the slopes of the Lauterach Valley, also known as the “Tuscany of the Upper Palatinate.” The route therefore combines a named starting point and an approximate distance with a striking landscape. The hiking trail is also one of the most beautiful in the Amberg-Sulzbach region.
Amberg-Sulzbach as the Regional Setting
The wider Amberg-Sulzbach destination is in Bavaria, between Regensburg and Nuremberg. The Amberg-Sulzbach region’s hiking landscapes are shaped by towering limestone cliffs, gentle Jura hills, extensive forests and charming river valleys. One example is the Felsenweg (Rock Trail): the 2.7-kilometre hike runs from Sackdilling through the rock labyrinth to the Bauernlöcher caves and takes about 45 minutes. These details answer different planning questions: the Felsenweg’s length and walking time are given, while for the Juniper Hiking Trail, the distance from Schmidmühlen to the municipality of Hohenburg is specified.
The region’s mining history gives it another distinctive theme. The Erzweg (Ore Trail) links sites with a mining tradition spanning more than 1,000 years and passes through cultural and natural landscapes. At Kultur-Schloss Theuern, the East Bavarian Mining and Industry Museum researches and documents mining and industry in eastern Bavaria, keeping their history alive. Together, these examples show two different ways to explore the subject: a route through cultural and natural landscapes, and the historical work of a museum.
The Kirwan festivals are among the regional traditions of the Amberg-Sulzbach region. They have been part of Bavaria’s intangible cultural heritage since 2023; celebrations take place each year in the respective town and are open to visitors and locals alike. Schlachtschüssel is another recurring culinary tradition: many restaurants serve it regularly. The meal includes Wurschtsuppn (sausage soup), Kesselfleisch (boiled pork) and blood sausages, liver sausages and bratwurst made to their own recipes. Dates vary by restaurant, so if you plan to try Schlachtschüssel, check the date at the restaurant you have in mind.
There is a clear seasonal restriction for cave hikes: entering caves on regional cave hiking trails is prohibited from 1 October to 31 March.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Ursensollen, Neukirchen bei Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Auerbach in der Oberpfalz, Edelsfeld, Schmidmühlen, Kümmersbruck, Schnaittenbach, Birgland.
Back to the regional travel overview: Amberg-Sulzbach.
