Discover Ortenburg: jousting tournaments, wildlife parks and castle culture
Accommodation in Ortenburg
Ortenburg combines annual jousting tournaments with two wildlife parks and castle history. If you are looking for a hotel in Ortenburg, these themes can give your trip a clear focus: attending an event, watching animals in parkland, or exploring castle culture. For your planning, it is worth checking the specific event dates and the wildlife park’s admission times separately.
Jousting Tournaments and Castle Culture
The Ortenburg Jousting Tournaments take place every year at the foot of Ortenburg Castle. The programme includes tournament contests, a historic market, traditional craft workshops, camp life and birds of prey displays. The annual recurrence describes the event’s general schedule; you should check the specific dates before your trip.
In the wider Passau destination, the Ortenburg Castle Culture event series includes music events, cabaret, spooky nights at Ortenburg Castle, talks and guided tours. It is organised by the Förderkreis Schloss Ortenburg; the programme runs from April to December. As a separate series, Castle Culture offers a different event format from the annual jousting tournaments. Check individual dates by season.
Wildlife Parks in Ortenburg
You can explore the Ortenburg Castle Wildlife Park along well-maintained paths through a park covering around 25 hectares, with many animal enclosures and aviaries. Admission is daily from 09:00 to 17:30; the park closes at 19:00. Note the difference between the end of admission and closing time, and check the operator’s information before visiting, as opening hours may change.
Irgenöd Animal Park in Ortenburg is home to more than 90 exotic and native animal species. This number may change over time. The two parks therefore offer different points of reference when choosing: the wildlife park is described in terms of its roughly 25-hectare grounds, paths, enclosures and aviaries, while Irgenöd Animal Park is noted for its diversity of species. This can help you decide which focus better matches your interests, without treating the two parks as a single destination.
A Glimpse into History at a Museum
In 2025, the Ortenburg Castle Museum displayed the original furnishings of the castle pharmacy, from the estate of GĂĽnther Heumann.
More Attractions in the Wider Passau Destination
The Bavarian Forest Open-Air Museum in Tittling is one of Europe’s largest open-air museums. Across 20 hectares, visitors can explore more than 100 residential and farm buildings from the Bavarian Forest, dating from 1580 to 1890. These include farmhouses, mills, sawmills, blacksmiths’ workshops, chapels and field monuments, as well as Germany’s oldest primary school, dating from 1666. The variety of building styles and uses provides a broad historical context for a museum visit.
The Haus am Strom Nature Experience Centre is another regional point of interest. It is located in the narrow Danube valley between Bavaria and Austria, downstream from Untergriesbach. The Passau region itself is characterised by rivers, forests and thermal spas; well-known thermal springs are located in Bad FĂĽssing and Bad Griesbach.
For active outings, you can choose between cycling and hiking routes. The Danube Cycle Path runs through the Passau region and received a four-star rating following an assessment by the German Cyclists’ Federation. If the rating matters to your plans, check its current status. The Passau region is also crossed by the Granite Adventure Hiking Trail around Hauzenberg and the Smugglers’ Trail in the Danube Pearls area. These named routes offer specific guidance when choosing between a cycling route and two different hiking trails.
Discover more destinations: Aisterham, Ruhstorf, Aicha Vorm Wald, Bad Griesbach Im Rottal, Aldersbach, Untergriesbach, Kirchham, Salzweg.
Back to the wider travel overview: Passau.
