Bayerisch Eisenstein: Border Railway Station, Glass Art and Hiking Trails

Bayerisch Eisenstein combines a unique border railway station experience with railway history, art and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The national border runs through the middle of the border station. If you are planning a stay, you can choose what to focus on based on your interests: exhibitions and historic locomotives, glassmaking and art, or hiking trails and winter sports. This range of themes can help you decide which experiences to make a priority on your trip.

Border Railway Station and Railway History

Since 2011, the NaturparkWelten exhibition by the Bavarian Forest Nature Park Association has been located in the German section of the Bayerisch Eisenstein border railway station. It covers railway history and the natural environment of this border town and spans five exhibition levels. Highlights include a European bat centre, a model railway, a ski museum and an interactive exhibition about the Großer Arber. The topics range from railways and technology to nature and winter. For current visitor information, it is advisable to check the operator’s details.

The Bayerisch Eisenstein Local Railway Museum is housed in a former locomotive shed. The Royal Privileged Joint-Stock Company of the Bavarian Eastern Railway had it built in Bayerisch Eisenstein in 1877. The museum’s tour traces the history of the Bavarian local railway from 1876 to the present day. Visitors can see more than 20 historic steam and diesel locomotives from different periods, as well as other exhibits. The tour offers a different way to explore railway history than NaturparkWelten: here, the focus is on the locomotives and the development of the local railway.

Glassmaking and Art in the Border Town

Glassmaking has a long tradition in Bayerisch Eisenstein. The glassworks with live demonstrations in Bahnhofsallee offers a modern take on this tradition. The Grenzglashütte glassworks also gives visitors the opportunity to experience glassmaking at close quarters. Before visiting, check the operator’s latest access information.

The Kuns(t)räume grenzenlos art gallery is in Bayerisch Eisenstein, 100 metres from the German-Czech border. Together with the border railway station and the Local Railway Museum, it forms an ensemble of historic buildings. The gallery shows contemporary and regional art, as well as works by famous artists from past eras, with new selections each year. Together with the exhibitions at the station, it offers a cultural programme that presents different perspectives on the region and its history.

Hiking Park, Trails and Winter Sports

All of the town’s hiking trails start at the Bayerisch Eisenstein Hiking Park. The park also has a natural Kneipp facility and a small adventure playground for children. Before your visit, check the latest information about the facilities and trail conditions.

The Goldsteig stages also offer two distinct routes: Stage N14 connects the Großer Arber with Bayerisch Eisenstein, while Stage N15 connects Bayerisch Eisenstein with the Großer Falkenstein. When planning, you can choose based on which of these named destinations best suits the hike you have in mind. The Großer Arber ski area has slopes ranging from an easy family run to more challenging descents. Check the latest information about the facilities and operations in advance.

Events Throughout the Year

Every year on 1 January, Bayerisch Eisenstein hosts a New Year’s concert in the village square, with holidaymakers and locals invited to attend. In early September, the Bavarian Forest National Park and the municipality of Bayerisch Eisenstein hold a major mushroom exhibition each year at the Eisensteiner ArberLandHalle. These events bring different seasonal highlights. If you would like to plan your trip around one of them, check the schedule for the relevant year.

More Experiences in the Regen Destination

The wider Regen destination also offers its own nature and cultural experiences. In the town of Regen, public guided tours regularly introduce the beer and ice cellars as the historic “Regener Underworld” and explain their history. There are also 13 terrain therapy trails in and around the town. Regen Ice Sports Centre rents out skates and equipment on site, while the Grubhügel cross-country ski trail in Regen can be used for both skating and classic diagonal-stride technique. The beer experience hike is about five kilometres long; almost half of the route runs directly alongside the Regen River.

Nature highlights in the Regen destination include the quartz rocks near Weißenstein Castle ruins, which were placed under nature protection in 1940 because of their geological significance. The Pfahl at Weißenstein is an important habitat for rare heat- and drought-loving animal and plant species adapted to nutrient-poor locations. Regen therefore offers further distinct nature and cultural experiences to consider when planning your wider trip.

You can also discover Regenhütte as another destination.

Discover more destinations: Prackenbach, Rinchnach, Regen, Bischofsmais, Lindberg, Geiersthal, Langdorf.

Go to the wider travel overview: Regen.