Leuchtenberg: Churches, Lerau Valley and Cycling Routes

Leuchtenberg combines ecclesiastical architectural history with paths through the Lerau Valley and cycling routes that pass through the town. This brings together different interests when planning your trip: historic buildings, hiking in the nature reserve and cycling tours with named routes.

Churches and Architectural History

The parish church of St. Margaretha has processional staffs belonging to the local guilds from the 18th century. The cemetery chapel of St. Sebastian in Leuchtenberg is a Baroque chapel built in 1740/41. This gives travelers interested in cultural history two points of interest: at St. Margaretha, the processional staffs and their connection to the local guild system; at St. Sebastian, the Baroque architectural style and the period in which it was built.

Hiking in the Lerau Valley

The Lerau Valley near Leuchtenberg is a 91-hectare nature reserve comprising a 1.5 km stretch of the Lerau valley and adjacent woodland. Stage 5 of the Goldsteig Trail passes through part of the protected area and ends in Leuchtenberg. The Burgenweg and Goldsteig trails also follow an easy-to-walk path through the Lerau Valley and uphill to Leuchtenberg. Stay on the marked trails in the nature reserve.

The Burgenweg is part of the Goldsteig Trail. It runs via Sargmühle to Leuchtenberg, then continues via Wittschau, Döllnitz and Trausnitz through the Pfreimd Valley towards Markt Tännesberg. This distinction is useful when choosing a route: Goldsteig Stage 5 ends in Leuchtenberg, while the described section of the Burgenweg continues beyond it.

Cycling Routes and Distances

Cyclists should distinguish between two routes of different lengths. The Luhe-Lerau Cycle Path is about 34 km long and passes through Leuchtenberg. The 343 km Leuchtenberg Cycling Tour passes through Leuchtenberg on its return leg from Trausnitz to Weiden. The figures therefore refer to different routes: around 34 km is the length of the Luhe-Lerau Cycle Path, while Leuchtenberg lies on the return leg of the longer tour. Check current route conditions before setting out.

In the broader destination of Neustadt an der Waldnaab

The district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab is located in the Upper Palatinate Forest destination. Activities listed there include hiking, cycling, museum visits and swimming in numerous bathing waters. One specific regional route is the Bockl: the 52 km route follows a historic railway line from Neustadt an der Waldnaab to Eslarn and can be used on foot, by bike or on inline skates. It is mostly paved and traffic-free; gradients along the route rarely exceed 3 percent. The Bockl trailhead in Neustadt an der Waldnaab can be reached directly 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 timetable before your trip.

Parkstein is another regional point of interest in the broader destination. The basalt cone was added to the list of Bavaria’s 100 most beautiful geotopes in 2003 and received the “National Geotope” designation in 2006. At the Parkstein Volcano Experience, a volcanic eruption is presented every hour and can be experienced on three levels. Check current opening times before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Trabitz, Eslarn, Eschenbach in der Oberpfalz, Pleystein, Waldthurn, Vohenstrauß, Kirchenthumbach, Schwarzenbach.

Back to the broader travel overview: Neustadt an der Waldnaab.