Rinchnach: Former Monastery Complex, Hiking Trails and the Great Wolfauslassen

Rinchnach combines a former monastery complex and a historic walking trail in the town center with long-distance hiking trails, a twelve-kilometer circular trail and mountain bike routes. Other attractions include a museum featuring photographs, drawings and watercolors, a bat-themed forest playground with 27 information boards, and the annual Great Wolfauslassen. The activities offer different experiences: some visits depend on scheduled dates, while others focus on choosing a trail or a theme. You can plan your trip around culture, outdoor activities or a recurring local tradition.

Monastery History and Culture in the Town Center

During monastery tours held on dates scheduled well in advance, visitors are shown areas of the former monastery complex that are not otherwise open to the public. These include the medieval cloister, dating from 1402, with its courtyard garden, the oratory and a side chapel with distinctive river pearl mussel decoration. You must register with the Rinchnach Local History and Tourism Office by 3 p.m. on the day before the tour at the latest. Check the current tour dates before your visit and plan around a suitable date.

At the “Rotes Schulhaus” museum, visitors can view photographs, drawings and watercolors. Check the current access arrangements before your visit. The historic walking trail in the town center offers a different cultural experience: it passes the Baroque church, which is the focal point of the route. This makes it possible to think of a museum visit and a walk through the town center as two different ways to explore.

Hiking Trails and Mountain Bike Routes

The historic long-distance hiking trails Pandurensteig and Gunthersteig pass through Rinchnach. One circular route with a specified distance is the twelve-kilometer Panoramablick hiking trail: it is a circular hiking trail in Rinchnach and is one of the TOP hiking trails in the Arber region. Circular trails No. 2 and 4, as well as the historic Gunthersteig and Wilhelmsweg, lead to the viewing platform in the Rinchnach high forest. Among the options described, you will find both a route explicitly designated as a circular hiking trail and several named trails leading to the platform. The Gunthersteig is mentioned both as a long-distance hiking trail passing through Rinchnach and as a trail leading to the viewing platform.

There is also a dedicated option for mountain biking: three mountain bike routes are marked starting from Rinchnach. At the bat-themed forest playground in Rinchnach, 27 information boards introduce the Rinchnach mascot and all bat species found in the Bavarian Forest. This themed attraction adds a place focused on the bats of the Bavarian Forest and the Rinchnach mascot to the range of trails.

An Annual Event

The Great Wolfauslassen begins every year on November 10 at 6 p.m. in Rinchnach town center. Together with the monastery tours scheduled well in advance, it is a specific date to take into account when planning your trip. The hiking and mountain biking options, by contrast, differ mainly in the type of route: long-distance hiking trails, circular trails and marked mountain bike routes offer different ways to spend active days.

When looking for accommodation in Rinchnach, it is worth first deciding on the purpose of your visit and your planned travel dates. For the monastery tours, you need to consider the scheduled dates and register by 3 p.m. the day before; the Wolfauslassen, which begins every year on November 10, also has a specific event date. If you are mainly interested in hiking or mountain biking, the different types of trails can help shape your itinerary. Check current tour dates and event details before planning around them.

Discover more destinations: Achslach, Böbrach, Bodenmais, Teisnach, Kirchdorf Im Wald, Drachselsried, Zachenberg, Geiersthal.

For the overview of the wider area: Regen.