Treffelstein: Dragon Tower, Church and Silver Lake

If you are looking for a hotel in Treffelstein, you can get a sense of the town through its cultural history and the trails in the surrounding area. Highlights include the Dragon Tower in the heart of town, a Gothic relief in the church and the Sägmühlenweg trail to Silver Lake. There is also a short mountain bike tour through the municipality, as well as leisure and nature attractions around the lake. These varied features can help you decide which aspects of the destination you would like to explore during your stay.

Culture around the Dragon Tower

The Dragon Tower is privately owned and can be viewed from the outside. On 12 September 2021, the information centre at the Dragon Tower opened in the former water reservoir. The information centre’s roof terrace offers panoramic views. Treffelstein Church’s baptismal chapel is also home to a Gothic relief dating from around 1480. The town therefore offers several cultural points of interest: a tower to admire from the outside, an information centre with a roof terrace and a historic relief in the church.

Trails between Treffelstein and Silver Lake

The Sägmühlenweg trail starts at the church in Treffelstein. From there, it runs along Hauptstraße, follows a short stretch of Silberseestraße and then takes field paths to Silver Lake. Along the Silver Lake circular hiking trail (Tb10), it follows the reactivated millrace and passes a nature observation station and a waterwheel. The waterwheel marks the site of the former sawmill. The trail description thus links a starting point in town with a destination nearby and several stops recalling the site’s former use.

Another route-planning option is a short section of the Trans Bayerwald mountain bike route, which passes through the municipality of Treffelstein. The two descriptions have different emphases: the Sägmühlenweg details the church, sections of the route and its destination at Silver Lake; the mountain bike tour is described as a short route through the municipality. If you are weighing up hiking and cycling, this distinction can help you choose an activity that suits you, without suggesting that the two routes are the same.

Silver Lake: circular trail, leisure and nature

In the area surrounding the destination, Silver Lake offers leisure activities such as swimming, paddling, sailing, surfing and fishing. The Silver Lake circular hiking trail is listed as approximately seven kilometres long; a measured distance for the accessible route is given as 6.4 kilometres. The figures differ. For the period from May 2024 to April 2027, the circular trail is certified as step-free and predominantly easy to walk or cycle. It passes three beaches with sunbathing lawns; regularly spaced benches and covered rest areas are also part of the route described.

Nature also shapes the area around the lake, alongside leisure activities and the circular trail. After Silver Lake was dammed, its northern and western shores were left to nature, allowing a biotope to develop there. The area around Silver Lake provides habitats for amphibians, reptiles, insects, birds and fish; it also offers suitable conditions for beavers and bats. The lake therefore brings together different interests: activities on the water, a circular trail with places to rest and shore areas left to nature.

More cultural attractions in the wider destination of Cham

Cham also has its own cultural attractions. In Furth im Wald, a town in the district of Cham, the Dragon Cave explores the town’s dragon history, the festival and the technology behind the dragon robot. The summer festival in Furth im Wald is part of the Drachenstich tradition. These attractions are located in Furth im Wald and add a distinct cultural offering to the wider destination of Cham.

Discover more destinations: Rimbach, Wald, Waffenbrunn, Arrach, Lam, Rötz, Miltach, Walderbach

View the wider travel overview: Cham.