Discover Schwandorf

If you are looking for a hotel in Schwandorf, cultural history and the regional landscape can provide different reasons for your stay. The city’s cultural attractions include the rock cellars, the city museum and the historic Blasturm tower. In the wider region, the Charlottenhof Pond District offers nature and scenic landscapes. Ways to explore also vary: they range from guided tours of the cellars, which are compulsory, to museum opening hours and city tours, as well as paths through the landscape.

Rock Cellars and City History

More than 130 underground cellar rooms carved by hand into Dogger sandstone are located in Schwandorf’s Holz and Weinberg areas. They extend for nearly a kilometre from north to south. The first Schwandorf rock cellars were built in the last quarter of the 15th century or at the beginning of the 16th century, around 1500; originally, they served as fermentation and storage cellars for beer. The rock cellar labyrinth is Bavaria’s largest. Tours cover the history of Schwandorf’s underworld and the “cellar thieves” of the 1930s. The cellars can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Advance registration or booking through the tourist office at 09431 45 550 is mandatory.

Museum, Architecture and Culture

The Schwandorf City Museum has a permanent exhibition on the history of the city and the surrounding localities. It is open Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from 14:00 to 17:00, and Thursdays from 12:00 to 18:00; additional appointments are possible on request and by arrangement. Check opening hours before your visit. The historic Blasturm tower is considered a landmark of the city; a visit to it is included in city tours.

The Upper Palatinate Artists’ House in Fronberg, a district of Schwandorf, regularly presents current work by regional and non-regional artists. Artist talks and guided tours are also offered. The city’s cultural affairs office also organizes the “Culture Summer in the Spitalgarten” every two years. It takes place in the courtyard in front of the town hall and Schwandorf’s hospital church. If you plan to attend this event, check the specific dates.

Planning Your Stay

The certified tourist office in the historic Pfleghof building is the first point of contact for visitors and residents. There you can get cycling and hiking maps, as well as brochures about tourist attractions and activities in the region. This allows you to consider regional trails and excursion options alongside cultural attractions.

Landscapes in the Wider Region

The Charlottenhof Pond District lies in the wider region around Schwandorf and extends across several municipalities. It covers 833.0 hectares and forms a biotope network of around 15 larger ponds and more than 80 medium-sized and small ponds. The Upper Palatinate Lakes Trail and the Way of St. James pass through the area. Guided tours are regularly offered, with knowledgeable guides providing information about the landscape; check before travelling to find out when the tours take place.

The area is a nationally significant breeding ground for birds. Species found there include the osprey, white-tailed eagle, bluethroat, spotted crake, woodlark and western marsh harrier. At a broader level, the district of Schwandorf is a holiday region in Bavaria’s Upper Palatinate Forest. The Upper Palatinate Lake District in the district is a region shaped by water and varied landscapes. One specific regional route is the Pond Cycling Trail: it is around 9 kilometres long, signposted throughout in both directions, connects Schwandorf with Lake Murner See and passes through the Charlottenhof Pond Nature Reserve.

Discover more destinations: Teublitz, Bodenwöhr, Schwarzach, Stulln, Neunburg Vorm Wald, Nittenau, Oberviechtach, Fensterbach.

Go to the main travel overview: Schwandorf.