Neustadt an der Waldnaab: Bockl, Basalt and Baroque
Accommodation in Neustadt an der Waldnaab
The district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab lies in the Upper Palatinate Forest and offers a range of ways to spend your holiday: hiking, cycling, visiting museums and swimming in numerous bathing waters. This variety is particularly easy to see in places where a distinctive landscape, a specific route or a cultural destination shapes an outing. When choosing a holiday apartment, it helps to first consider which of these experiences you want to define your stay.
Der historische Stadtplatz von Neustadt an der Waldnaab.
Photo: Allexkoch via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cycling and hiking: from Bockl to Doost
Bockl is a 52-kilometre route from Neustadt an der Waldnaab to Eslarn. It follows a historic railway line and can be used on foot, by bicycle or on inline skates. Most of the route is paved and traffic-free; gradients of more than three percent are rare. The route therefore combines a clearly defined course with several ways to get around. The starting point in Neustadt is directly accessible by train. Trains run every hour to the terminus of the Nuremberg–Neustadt an der Waldnaab line, where you can transfer directly to a bicycle. Check the timetable before travelling.
The Doost nature reserve offers a different kind of nature experience. There, the Girnitzbach stream flows for about 750 metres through a sea of huge, rounded granite boulders. The stretch of stream can be reached via several hiking trails from Neustadt/WN, Weiden or Floß. If you prefer to travel by e-bike, the Waldnaab Valley–Parkstein–KTB geotour offers another route idea: it leads from Windischeschenbach towards Neustadt an der Waldnaab and climbs to Parkstein. Bockl and the geotour thus differ, among other things, in their routes and the elevation profiles described. Check current route information before setting out.
Parkstein: basalt, museums and historic trails
The Parkstein basalt cone was included in the list of Bavaria’s 100 most beautiful geotopes in 2003 and awarded the designation “National Geotope” in 2006. At the Vulkanerlebnis Parkstein (Parkstein Volcano Experience), a volcanic eruption is depicted every hour, and visitors can experience it on three levels. Since show times may change, it is helpful to check the latest visitor information before your visit. Geopark rangers also offer guided tours of the basalt wall, the rock cellars and the basalt cone; check availability in advance.
The historic walking tour of Parkstein also begins at a distinctive site: Landrichterschloss, home to the Vulkanerlebnis Parkstein museum. A visit offers two different perspectives on the same place: its geological history and its historic walking tour. If you are interested in a guided tour of Neustadt’s Baroque garden, you can contact the Neustadt an der Waldnaab District Office.
Monastic culture and places of remembrance
The Speinshart Abbey Church is one of the most important Baroque buildings in southern Germany and is distinguished by its Italian High Baroque furnishings. Together with the preserved historic monastery village, the abbey forms a cultural heritage site of European importance. A public guided tour of the church takes place every Sunday and public holiday at 3 p.m. Check the abbey’s information before travelling, as tour times may change. The church and historic village offer different ways to explore the site: the Baroque furnishings inside and the preserved ensemble in the village.
For a first visit to the Flossenbürg Concentration Camp Memorial, the exhibition “Flossenbürg Concentration Camp 1938–1945” in the former camp laundry is recommended. It offers a distinct focus alongside the district’s nature and cultural attractions.
Zoigl beer and choosing where to stay
In Windischeschenbach, 17 Zoigl hosts, including 12 genuine communal brewers, take turns serving this speciality beer in their Zoigl taverns on weekends. Since numbers and serving dates may change, it is worth planning around your chosen weekend.
Speinshart offers access to the abbey church and village ensemble, while Windischeschenbach is known for its Zoigl taverns. You can take the kind of outing you prefer into account when choosing where to stay, without assuming that a particular accommodation or amenity is available.
More destinations
Discover more destinations: Tännesberg, Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Vohenstrauß, Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Windischeschenbach, Waidhaus, Pressath, Moosbach, Waldthurn, Theisseil, Störnstein, Pleystein, Weiherhammer, Schirmitz, Parkstein, Schwarzenbach, Trabitz, Vorbach, Grafenwöhr, Floß, Flossenbürg, Eslarn, Eschenbach in der Oberpfalz, Luhe-Wildenau, Leuchtenberg, Kohlberg, Kirchenthumbach, Kirchendemenreuth, Georgenberg.
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