Stadlern – Pilgrimage, Hiking Trails and Hochfels

Pilgrimage and Local History

Every year on 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption, around a thousand devotees of the Virgin Mary gather in Stadlern. The program includes a morning service at the pilgrimage church of the Assumption of Mary and a festive service on Calvary Hill in the late morning. If you would like to plan your stay around this religious occasion, its annual date provides a clear point of reference.

Beside the entrance to the pilgrimage church stands the “Christ in the Winepress” column, one of the most distinctive monuments in the district of Schwandorf. Local history is also associated with a specific date: with the support of the municipality of Stadlern, the Böhmerwald lookout tower was officially inaugurated on 1 July 1984. In Stadlern, religious tradition and local history sit alongside opportunities to explore the landscape on foot.

Hiking Trails with Different Destinations

The Goldbrunnenweg is an easy, 6.7-kilometre circular route connecting Stadlern and Waldhäuser. The starting point is the “Am Hochfels” hiking car park. The trail follows a well-maintained forest track to Calvary Hill in Stadlern. Check the current route conditions before setting off.

Another hiking route is the Grenz-Erlebnisrunde. It starts at the Hochfels natural monument, leads to the Böhmerwald lookout tower and Bügellohe, and passes through the forest by the ruins of Reichenstein Castle before returning to Stadlern. This gives you the option of a tour whose route description includes several named stops. The choice between the Goldbrunnenweg and the Grenz-Erlebnisrunde depends mainly on whether you prefer the easy circular route between Stadlern and Waldhäuser or the series of stops starting at Hochfels.

There is another useful point of reference for the walk to Reichenstein Castle ruins: free parking is available at the “Am Hochfels” hiking car park, from where a footpath of around 1.2 kilometres leads to the ruins. As parking arrangements may change, it is worth checking them before your visit.

Hochfels: Geology and Views

The Hochfels natural monument lies in the Schönseer Land area near Stadlern. It covers 10 hectares and is among Bavaria’s 100 most beautiful geotopes. Hochfels is a striking, protruding ridge of cordierite-sillimanite gneiss. Boulder fields, individual rock formations and heath vegetation shape the surrounding landscape. From Hochfels, panoramic views extend across the Schönseer Land to the Czech border.

Several hiking trails pass by the natural monument, including the Grenz-Erlebnisrunde. This makes Hochfels both a destination of geological interest and a starting point for a described hiking route. The landscape offers a different focus from the pilgrimage church or the trails to Calvary Hill: rock formations and heath vegetation take centre stage.

A Break at the Bathing Pond

Stadlern bathing pond is a natural swimming pond at the end of the village in the direction of Weiding. There is a children’s playground and a beach volleyball court by the pond. A stay by the water therefore adds a quieter focus of its own to the cultural and hiking opportunities. Which experiences you would like to prioritise can help you decide when looking for a holiday apartment in Stadlern.

For the wider travel overview: Schönsee.