Windberg: Monastery history and sweeping views

A hilltop village with far-reaching views

The hill gives the village a distinctive setting in the landscape: Windberg lies at an altitude of 420 m. The panoramic view stretches from the mountains of the Bavarian Forest across the Bogenbach Valley to the Danube Plain. Mountains, valley and plain each lend the view a different character. Windberg is therefore shaped not only by its monastery buildings, but also by the surrounding landscapes that define the view from the village. This combination offers a good starting point for planning your holiday: you can treat culture and landscape as equally important themes of your stay.

The basilica and monastery complex

Other historic buildings are grouped around the 12th-century Romanesque basilica, with its Rococo interiors, and the Premonstratensian monastery. The medieval monastery complex is largely preserved. In addition to the basilica, it includes the prelature, the judge’s house and the craftsmen’s house. Together, these different buildings give the village a distinct historic character.

Construction of Windberg’s monastery church began around 1140 and was completed with the erection of the tower around 1250. The basilica thus brings together Romanesque architectural history and Rococo interiors. If you enjoy discovering architectural history through specific buildings, you will find several periods represented here in one place—from the start of construction in the Middle Ages to the Rococo furnishings.

Windberg’s pilgrimage church of the Holy Cross is located outside the village. It houses a 28-step Holy Staircase, a replica of the staircase in the Palace of Pontius Pilate. The Way of the Cross from Windberg to the Holy Cross church is also part of the village’s religious history; it was inaugurated in 1887. The basilica, monastery complex and Holy Cross church thus offer different points of interest for a trip focused on historic buildings and religious heritage.

Hiking and paragliding

Alongside its cultural attractions, Windberg also offers activities for days out: the village has an extensive network of hiking trails, as well as opportunities for paragliding and a paragliding school. Hiking and air sports appeal to different interests and offer a range of ways to spend your free time. When planning your stay, you can decide whether to focus on the hiking trails or paragliding—or include both alongside the village’s history and monastery.

Getting there and choosing a holiday apartment

Bus route 14, operated by the Straubinger-Land Transport Association, runs directly from Straubing to Windberg. Check the current timetable before travelling.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Windberg, the kind of stay you want can help you decide: Would you like to focus on discovering the medieval village and its monastery buildings, taking in the landscape, or planning active days with hiking and paragliding? These priorities can help you match Windberg to your travel plans.

In the wider destination of Straubing-Bogen

Beyond Windberg, the wider destination of Straubing-Bogen is shaped by the Bavarian Forest, the fertile Gäuboden plain and the Danube. Elsewhere in the destination, you will also find cultural and natural history attractions: the Bogenberg District Museum explores the history of the Bavarian lozenges—from the Counts of Windberg-Bogen and their use by the Wittelsbach dynasty and in the Bavarian state coat of arms, to their role as a symbol of Bavaria. At the Bayerwald Xperium, visitors can learn about natural phenomena and science by experimenting for themselves at more than 100 interactive stations. These examples complement Windberg’s own monastery and landscape attractions with further aspects of Straubing-Bogen.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Hunderdorf, Mitterfels, Wiesenfelden, Neukirchen, Salching, Sankt Englmar, Aiterhofen, Konzell.

Back to the main travel overview: Straubing-Bogen.