Discover Cham: City History, Water and Cycling Routes

Art, Architectural History and Exhibitions in the District Town

Since 1991, Museum SPUR has showcased paintings, sculptures and works on paper by the SPUR group from 1957 to 1965. It presents the group’s activities and works, their regional connection to the Upper Palatinate and Cham, and documents their history. A permanent exhibition is also dedicated to the 1959 anti-war film “The Bridge” and includes photos from the filming that have not been shown before. The museum is housed in a former late Gothic almshouse whose history dates back to the 16th century.

Cordonhaus is a massive, two-storey building dating from the 16th century. Its courtyard has an arcade and covered walkway unique to Cham. The second floor houses an exhibition on the prehistory and early history of the municipality of Cham and its immediate surroundings. Distribution and archaeological site maps, finds, original objects, replicas and explanatory texts show traces of the first human visits and settlements in the Cham-Furth basin. On the ground floor, the event hall hosts readings, talks, theatre, exhibitions and workshops. Architecture, early history and a range of cultural events thus share the same building.

The Biertor is the only one of the town’s four gates to have survived. Formerly known as the Burgtor, it probably dates from the 14th century. The “Discover Cham” guided tour takes you through the Old Town and explains, among other things, the market square fountain and the Biertor. The tour also includes the Marseillaise, which sounds from the town hall every day at 12:05 p.m. If you are planning to join a tour, it is worth checking the latest dates. “Executioners, Sorcerers, Ruffians” offers a different historical perspective: the tour explores the 17th-century justice system and visits the courtroom in the old town; dates are listed in the town’s cultural programme.

Food can also be combined with local history: the “Chamer Anno Dazu Mahl” is a guided tour of three historic inns. It includes stories from old Cham and a three-course meal in the inns’ dining rooms. You can find the latest dates in the town’s cultural programme.

Technology, Water and Routes

The Cham Broadcasting Museum presents the development of radio and television technology, sound and image recording, telecommunications and electroacoustics in rooms arranged by historical period. In the Physics and Technology Experience Centre, visitors can explore and learn the basics of electrical physics and electrical engineering at more than 100 interactive stations. The collection and hands-on activities offer different points of focus: here, you can discover both technological developments and how things work in practice.

Cham Leisure Pool includes a river swimming area in the Regen, with a bathing jetty for easy entry and exit. There is also a fun wave pool, a 50-metre sports pool, a diving pool with a 5-metre tower, a heated pool, a funnel slide and a wide-wave slide. Other facilities include a children’s paddling pool with mini slides, a large play area, beach volleyball and table tennis. If you are planning an outing by the river instead of a visit to the pool, consider the Meranweg: it runs along the Regen and leads to the “Maria Hilf” monastery church.

For a longer cycling tour, the Chambtal Cycle Route starts in the town of Cham and runs via Arnschwang, Furth im Wald and Eschlkam to the border crossing into Bohemia. The route is almost entirely flat and traffic-free, following mostly paved cycle paths. The section to Furth im Wald forms part of the Munich–Regensburg–Pilsen–Prague long-distance cycle route. At regional level, cyclists have 1,200 kilometres of cycle paths in the Upper Bavarian Forest Nature Park and the district of Cham, as well as more than 30 cycle tours. This lets you choose between the specific route towards Bohemia and other tours in the region.

At the cycle route hub in the district town of Cham, there is a cycle information pavilion, lockable bike boxes, overview boards with route information for onward tours and public transport timetables. This information can help you plan a day of cycling. When looking for a holiday apartment, there are two different focuses to consider: if you want to combine exhibitions, the Old Town and the leisure pool, look in the district town; if you are planning longer tours, also take the regional routes into account.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Waffenbrunn, Zell, Rettenbach, Furth Im Wald, Treffelstein, Waldmünchen, Lam, Bad Kötzting, Blaibach, Grafenwiesen, Weiding, Walderbach, Roding, Rimbach, Hohenwarth, Cham, Lohberg, Runding, Traitsching, Miltach, Schorndorf, Michelsneukirchen, Tiefenbach, Chamerau, Wald, Arnschwang, Neukirchen Heiligblut, Stamsried, Zandt, Rötz, Schönthal, Eschlkam, Falkenstein, Gleißenberg, Arrach.

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