Neustadt an der Waldnaab: Bockl, Basalt and Baroque

The Neustadt an der Waldnaab district lies in the Upper Palatinate Forest destination and offers activities including hiking, cycling, museum visits and swimming in numerous bathing waters. This gives you a range of themes to consider when choosing your destination: a long railway trail, striking basalt formations, Baroque architecture and places of remembrance. The destinations below show what kind of outing is at the heart of each location in the district.

Exploring Bockl and travelling by train

Bockl runs for 52 kilometres from Neustadt an der Waldnaab to Eslarn along a historic railway line. You can travel the route on foot, by bike or on inline skates. It is paved for most of its length and free of traffic; gradients rarely exceed 3 per cent. The distance, surface and gradient describe different aspects of the same tour and give you specific points to consider when planning.

The Bockl trailhead 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 bike. Check the current timetable before setting off.

Basalt and volcanoes in Parkstein

The Parkstein basalt cone was included in the list of Bavaria’s 100 most beautiful geotopes in 2003 and received the designation “National Geotope” in 2006. At the Parkstein Volcano Experience, a volcanic eruption is staged every hour, which visitors can experience across three levels. As the schedule may change, you should check the latest visiting times in advance.

The historical walking tour of Parkstein begins at Landrichter Castle, which houses the Parkstein Volcano Experience Museum. Geopark rangers offer guided tours of the basalt wall; check their availability before your trip. If you are interested in a guided tour of the Neustadt Baroque Garden, you can contact the Neustadt an der Waldnaab District Office.

Baroque and monastic culture in Speinshart

Speinshart Abbey Church is one of the most significant Baroque buildings in southern Germany and is distinguished by its Italian High Baroque furnishings. Speinshart Abbey and the preserved historic monastic village of Speinshart together form a cultural heritage site of European importance. The church’s art-historical significance and the cultural heritage of the entire ensemble thus offer two different perspectives on the place.

A public guided tour of the abbey church takes place at 3 p.m. every Sunday and public holiday. As tour times may change, check the information on the official abbey website before your visit.

Hiking trails and cycling routes

In the Doost Nature Reserve, the Girnitz stream flows through a boulder field of large, rounded granite blocks over a stretch of about 750 metres. Several hiking trails lead there from Neustadt/WN, Weiden or Floß. The stretch of stream and the granite blocks together shape the natural experience here.

The Waldnaab Valley–Parkstein–KTB e-bike geotour runs from Windischeschenbach towards Neustadt an der Waldnaab, then climbs to Parkstein. Unlike the Bockl, it explicitly includes an ascent, while gradients on the Bockl rarely exceed 3 per cent. Route information may change; check it before setting off.

Zoigl beer and a place of remembrance

In Windischeschenbach, 17 Zoigl hosts, including 12 traditional communal brewers, take turns serving this beer specialty at their Zoigl taverns on weekends. The number of hosts and serving dates may change; check the latest weekend dates in advance.

For a first visit to the Flossenbürg Concentration Camp Memorial, the exhibition “Flossenbürg Concentration Camp 1938–1945” in the former camp laundry is recommended.

Discover more destinations: Tännesberg, Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Vohenstrauß, Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Windischeschenbach, Grafenwöhr, Waidhaus, Pressath, Floß, Moosbach, Flossenbürg, Waldthurn, Eslarn, Theisseil, Störnstein, Pleystein, Weiherhammer, Eschenbach in der Oberpfalz, Schirmitz, Luhe-Wildenau, Parkstein, Leuchtenberg, Schwarzenbach, Kohlberg, Kirchenthumbach, Trabitz, Vorbach, Kirchendemenreuth, Georgenberg.

For the overarching travel overview: Bavaria.