Pirk: Churches, Castle and Local Villages

You can get to know Pirk through its architectural history and the distinct places within the municipality. In the main village, the Church of the Visitation of Mary and the New Castle represent different historical traces; the local villages add village churches, an old bridge and distinctive landscapes. When looking for a holiday apartment, consider whether you mainly want to explore Pirk itself or also include places within the municipality and destinations in the wider travel region.

Church and Castle in Pirk

The Catholic Church of the Visitation of Mary at Rathausplatz 7–9 is a hall church with a hipped roof and a narrower choir with a five-sided apse. It dates from around 1770. The choir’s central tower has an older core. Architecture enthusiasts will find several details here that can be distinguished by looking at the exterior form and the structure of the choir.

The New Castle in Pirk is a former manorial estate. Its core dates from the 17th or 18th century; the three-storey building with a hipped roof has been altered. Together with the church, it offers a different perspective on the village’s history. The Rathausplatz also features a cemetery cross from the 19th century: a cast-iron crucifix with a subsidiary figure on a renewed plinth.

Another historic stop is the Church of the Resurrection in Pirk, consecrated by Bishop Rudolf Graber in 1964. Pirk thus brings together buildings from different periods and religious heritage, without every place telling the same story.

Local Villages, Landscape and Routes

There are also distinctive points of interest beyond the main village. Enzenrieth is home to the Catholic Church of St. George, a hall church dating from 1849 with a gabled roof, a three-sided apse and a roof turret with a pointed helmet. Every year on the third Sunday in September, a walking pilgrimage from Enzenrieth to Pleystein takes place; this tradition has existed for more than 100 years.

In Engleshof, a village chapel dedicated to St. Wolfgang stands in the square at the centre of the village. An old stone bridge from the 17th century, considered a landmark, lies immediately beside the village. In Pischeldorf, the village stream has been uncovered; a chain of ponds begins east of the village and extends towards Hochdorf.

Near Au, the Bonau nature reserve lies close to the hamlet and is home to many rare animals and plants. Matzlesberg, in turn, is situated on a hilltop high above the Luhe Valley. From there, the panoramic view extends particularly towards the ruins of Leuchtenberg Castle. These examples show how varied the experiences within the municipality can be: from a village square and stream to ponds, a nature reserve and scenic views.

For navigating the road network, the municipality of Pirk is located directly on the A 93, about 6 km south of Weiden i.d.OPf. The listed access routes are the Luhe exit via Pischeldorf and the Weiden Süd exit via Schirmitz. The B 22, also known as the Ostmarkstraße, runs about 3 km from the municipal area. About 10 km south of the municipal area, the A 6 from Nuremberg to Pilsen crosses the A 93 near Wernberg-Köblitz. The Naturpark-Entdecker-Runde route continues via Luhe-Wildenau and Pirk to Weiden i.d.OPf.

More Options in the Wider Travel Region

The wider travel region of Neustadt An Der Waldnaab includes the district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab, in the Oberpfälzer Wald destination. Hiking, cycling, museum visits and swimming in numerous bathing waters add to the tourist activities available there. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish between local architectural and landscape highlights in the municipality of Pirk and other destinations in the district.

One example of a longer regional route is the Bockl: it runs for 52 km from Neustadt an der Waldnaab to Eslarn along a historic railway line and can be travelled on foot, by bicycle or on inline skates. The route is mostly paved and traffic-free; gradients rarely exceed 3 percent. The starting point in Neustadt an der Waldnaab is directly accessible by train. Trains run hourly 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 district also offers a different focus on culture. In Parkstein, the historic walking tour begins at the Landrichterschloss, which houses the Vulkanerlebnis Parkstein Museum. A volcanic eruption is staged there every hour and can be experienced across three levels; check the times before your visit. Speinshart Monastery Church is one of the most significant Baroque buildings in southern Germany and is distinguished by its Italian High Baroque furnishings. Together with the preserved historic monastery village, it forms a cultural heritage site of European standing. A public guided tour of the monastery church takes place at 3 pm on Sundays and public holidays. Check the date before travelling.

View the wider travel overview: Schirmitz.