Warzenried: Hiking, Border History and Church Art

Warzenried brings together several themes for planning a trip: walking and hiking opportunities, border history, church architecture and cycling routes. The Bankerlweg focuses on views and places to sit; the Schanzgrabenweg offers a different connection to border history. The architectural history of the Herz-Jesu Expositur Church and several named cycling routes also provide distinct ideas for planning your stay.

Walking Routes and Border History

The Warzenried Bankerlweg offers walking and hiking opportunities in the former municipality, with views and places to sit. Along the Schanzgraben on hiking trail Ek07 (Schanzgrabenweg), remnants of defensive ramparts can still be seen in some places. The two routes therefore have different focuses: one features views and places to sit, while the other still has occasional visible border defenses.

Church and Religious Traditions

The Herz-Jesu Expositur Church in Warzenried was built in 1858–1859 and expanded in 1896 and 1957. The sanctuary was renovated in 1997. Its features include a stained-glass image of the Good Shepherd and stained-glass windows.

A parish report dated August 21, 2022, describes the traditional Hahnenberg pilgrimage of the Warzenried expositur. It takes place on a Sunday in August or September and leads to the weather cross on Hahnenberg. The report specifies a season and destination but does not give a current date.

At the Martiniritt in Warzenried on November 6, 2022, 153 horses with their riders rode through the border village. The dated Martiniritt and the pilgrimage described in the parish report offer two different glimpses of religious traditions.

Cycling Routes Through Warzenried

Cycle Tour 2 runs from Eschlkam via Ritzenried, Unterfaustern, Neukirchen b. Hl. Blut and Warzenried to Neuschwarzau and Seugenhof, then back to Eschlkam. Neuschwarzau lies directly on the border with the Bohemian Forest. In the Bavarian Forest, EuroVelo 13 runs from Waldmünchen via Warzenried to Železná Ruda. Cycle Tour 2 returns to Eschlkam, whereas EuroVelo 13 names Waldmünchen and Železná Ruda as places along its route via Warzenried.

More to Discover in the Wider Eschlkam Destination

In the wider Eschlkam destination, there is a circular route around Drachensee of about 10 kilometers for pedestrians and another of about 11 kilometers for cyclists. Both take in features of the surrounding landscape as well as the lakeshore. About three quarters of Drachensee’s reservoir area lies within the city limits of Furth im Wald, and about one quarter within the municipal area of the market town of Eschlkam.

Another cycling option is a loop through the market town of Eschlkam. It is 25 kilometers long with 480 meters of elevation gain; check local route information before setting out.

For those interested in culture, the Waldschmidt Association’s permanent exhibition in Eschlkam documents Maximilian Schmidt’s life and career through personal belongings, documents, books, display boards and models. The art trail on Leminger Höhe near Eschlkam features six artworks on the theme “Border Encounters – Paths Between East and West.”

The Schwirzer monument is a granite figure commemorating the Schwirzer, also known as Pascher. They smuggled goods such as tobacco, salt and oxen across the border at night. The art pavilion in Stachesried features large-format paintings. The exhibition, art trail, monument and pavilion thus offer different points of interest in the wider Eschlkam destination.

For the wider travel overview: Eschlkam.