Straubing-Bogen: Nature, Pilgrimage and Discoveries

Straubing-Bogen is shaped by the Bavarian Forest, the fertile Gäuboden plain and the Danube. Special experiences include the Marian pilgrimage site and museum on Bogenberg, walks around the Beckenweiher pond in Wiesenfelden and the medieval monastery complex in Windberg. There are also cycling and hiking trails, as well as attractions with interactive experiment stations or toboggan runs.

Pilgrimage, Museum and Monastery Complex

Bogenberg is one of Bavaria’s oldest Marian pilgrimage sites that is still active today. Every year at Pentecost, the Holzkirchen Candle Pilgrimage takes place at the pilgrimage church. The Bogenberg District Museum explores the mountain’s importance as Lower Bavaria’s Holy Mountain and as the site of one of Bavaria’s oldest Marian pilgrimages. Another focus is the history of the Bavarian lozenges: from the Counts of Windberg-Bogen and their use by the Wittelsbachs to their place in the Bavarian coat of arms and as a symbol of Bavaria.

The museum offers individually tailored tours about Bogenberg for groups of ten or more and school classes. With advance notice by phone or in writing, tours can also be booked outside opening hours. Anyone wishing to visit the museum with a group should plan to register in advance.

Windberg also combines history and landscape. The medieval village sits on a scenic hilltop at an elevation of 420 metres. From here, panoramic views extend to the mountains of the Bavarian Forest, the Bogenbach valley and across the Danube plain. The medieval monastery complex has been largely preserved, including the basilica, prelature, courthouse and craftsmen’s house.

Walks and Nature Around Wiesenfelden

In Wiesenfelden, the two circular trails around the Beckenweiher pond are easy to distinguish by their length and features. The Kobelberg nature trail is about 4.5 kilometres long and has nine stations. It is suitable for pushchairs and is cleared in winter. The accessible circular trail around the Beckenweiher is 2.3 kilometres long and suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.

Five information points along the Beckenweiher circular trail offer insights into the pond’s wildlife and plant life, its protected status and its history. The points are equipped with benches and information boards. A 110-metre-long nature observation boardwalk is also part of the trail. So the shorter route is about more than distance: it also offers opportunities to pause along the way at the stations and on the boardwalk.

Explore other nature-related topics on the bee education trail in the Europapark Bayern-Böhmen in Bogen. Information boards and a live bee colony provide interesting facts about honeybees. If you prefer to discover science by trying things out for yourself, the Bayerwald Xperium has more than 100 interactive stations exploring natural phenomena and science.

Cycling Routes, Pilgrimage Trail and Attractions

Families with children can choose from three day trips in Bogen, each with a different theme: the “Culture Tour,” the “Beer Garden Tour” and “Left and Right of the Danube.” In the Straubing-Bogen district, the Labertal cycle route runs through the Gäuboden plain; its flat trails and quiet side roads offer a different kind of ride. If you prefer to travel on foot, you can also follow the European pilgrimage trail VIA NOVA in Bogen. Signposted as a hiking trail for a total distance of around 300 kilometres, it passes through the town.

In Sankt Englmar, the Bayerwald-Bob and Bayerwald-Coaster each offer a 1,000-metre-long track, and both can be used in any weather. The park in Sankt Englmar also includes the Bayerwald-Fox. In Maibrunn near Sankt Englmar, the accessible WaldWipfelWeg treetop walk runs above the forest canopy, reaching heights of up to 30 metres. Its Nature Experience Trail features hands-on stations, climbing opportunities and animals such as alpacas, llamas, sheep and kangaroos. The WaldWipfelWeg also includes the unique “Upside-Down House,” the only one of its kind in Bavaria: it stands entirely on its roof, and everything inside is upside down.

The WaldWipfelWeg is served every hour by Express Bus 58 from the Viechtach and Bogen railway stations. Check the current timetable before travelling. When planning the rest of your trip, it helps to prioritise the experiences you want: pilgrimage and museums, waterside trails, cycling or a visit to the attractions in Sankt Englmar each offer a different focus.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Mitterfels, Wiesenfelden, Rattiszell, Straubing, Rattenberg, Konzell, Haibach, Ascha, Geiselhöring, Schwarzach, Sankt Englmar, Hunderdorf, Aiterhofen, Kirchroth, Neukirchen, Bogen, Windberg, Stallwang, Steinach, Perasdorf, Salching, Haselbach, Atting.

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