Discover Thyrnau: Monastery, Churches and Trails

Thyrnau brings together a unique monastic history, churches whose architecture and pilgrimage traditions reflect different eras, and several hiking and pilgrimage trails that run through the municipality. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on local history, the trails or both.

Monastic History and Churches in Thyrnau

A castle once stood on the site of today’s monastery and served as a hunting lodge. After it was sold to Cistercian nuns from Veceline in France, it was converted into a monastery in 1902. Today, the nuns run an embroidery workshop for ecclesiastical textiles that is known beyond the region’s borders. The history of the former hunting lodge, monastic life and a specialised craft thus come together in one place.

The churches also reflect different traditions. The parish church of St. Francis Xavier in Thyrnau was originally a pilgrimage church; its architecture and furnishings date from the Rococo period. Before 1597, the Church of St. Christopher in Thyrnau was a pilgrimage site. These are two churches with historic pilgrimage traditions, alongside a building whose architecture and furnishings have their own place in art history.

In Kellberg, the present nave of the parish church of St. Blaise was completed around 1450. It contains tombs and memorials to Degenhard II von Watzmannsdorf (d. 1506), Margarete Tengler, née von Steinach, and Julis Benedikt Freiherr von Schätzl (d. 1598). They represent other historically significant people buried there. A culture-focused trip therefore offers more than one perspective: monastic history, Rococo and places of remembrance can be explored through specific buildings.

Hiking Trails and Routes of Different Lengths

The Donausteig is 450 kilometres long in total. It opened in July 2010 and runs from Passau via Linz to Grein; it also passes through the municipality of Thyrnau. A 25-kilometre stage of the Way of St. James runs from Untergriesbach to Passau through Thyrnau and past the Church of St. Christopher. When planning your trip, it is important to note the different scales: 450 kilometres refers to the Donausteig as a whole, while 25 kilometres is the length of the Way of St. James stage mentioned here.

The Goldsteig premium trail also passes through the municipality. It comes from the direction of Hauzenberg and continues from the Staffelbachtal via the Kaindlmühle and the Erlautal towards Passau. The routes thus offer different points of reference: for the Donausteig, the total length and route through several cities are given; for the Way of St. James, the length of a particular stage and its route past the Church of St. Christopher are specified. For the Goldsteig, the named valleys and places indicate its course. If you are looking for accommodation, you can first decide which of these trails—or which combination of a trail and local history—best suits your plans.

Views from Max-Höhe and Practical Information

From Max-Höhe in Kellberg, the panoramic view extends across the Bavarian Forest, the Bohemian Forest, the Sauwald and the Neubürger Wald. On a clear day, you can also see the Dachstein and the Berchtesgaden Alps; from here, you can count 36 church towers.

The Thyrnau-Kellberg Tourist Information Office is located at St.-Blasius-Straße 10 in Kellberg, 94136 Thyrnau. If you plan to visit, check the opening hours in advance.

Culture in the broader Passau travel destination

In Tittling, within the broader Passau travel destination, you’ll find the Bavarian Forest Open-Air Museum, one of Europe’s largest open-air museums. Set on 20 hectares, it lets you visit more than 100 residential and agricultural buildings from the Bavarian Forest dating from 1580 to 1890. The museum village includes farmhouses, mills, sawmills, smithies, chapels and field monuments, as well as Germany’s oldest primary school, dating from 1666. These regional cultural attractions complement Thyrnau’s monastic and church histories. If you plan to visit several places, you can include the Thyrnau sites and a separate visit to this museum in the broader Passau travel destination.

Discover more destinations: Ruhstorf, Untergriesbach, Bad Griesbach im Rottal, Kirchham, Eging am See, Passau, Hofkirchen.

Back to the broader travel overview: Passau.