Discover Plößberg: Ponds, Nativity Scenes and Glassmaking

Plößberg brings together a variety of things to discover: the Great Pond and the Haselstein Cycle Route put water at the heart of the experience, while museums offer insights into nativity scene art and glassmaking. Historic buildings add traces of different centuries to the picture. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether you would like to focus mainly on time at the pond, exhibitions or historic sites.

Great Pond: Swimming Area and Cycle Route Stop

The Great Pond in Plößberg is a swimming pond with boat hire and a kiosk. As a stop on the Haselstein Cycle Route, it can also be part of a cycling trip. The natural swimming area lies at the edge of the forest: the water and its setting on the forest’s edge go hand in hand here. Facilities at the pond may change; check their current availability before your visit.

These are two distinct interests to consider: you can think of the pond as a swimming area or include it in your plans as a stop on the cycle route. If spending time by the water is what matters most to you, the Great Pond is a concrete starting point for planning your trip. Those more interested in local history and craftsmanship will find several other subjects to explore in Plößberg.

Nativity Scene Art and the History of Glassmaking

The Nativity Scene and Local History Museum features a Plößberg Christmas nativity scene made by local amateur woodcarvers. Its depictions are biblical and folkloric, and date from around the turn of the century. It also includes three large domestic nativity scenes and a mechanical nativity scene. The different works draw attention to various forms of nativity scene art, from the Christmas nativity scene to the domestic scenes.

The glass-melting furnace construction workshop explores another craft. Its exhibition traces the development of glassmaking from 1719 to the present day. Models, tools, documents and photographs illustrate this time span through a range of materials. If you would like to explore culture not only through buildings but also through craftsmanship, you can weigh up this exhibition and the Nativity Scene and Local History Museum as distinct themes for your stay.

Churches and Castle Ruins as Historic Stops

From 1653, the Protestant and Catholic congregations shared St. George’s Protestant Parish Church as a simultaneum church. The site’s history is reflected in its shared use by both congregations. At Wildenau Castle, the Chapel of the Exaltation of the Cross was consecrated by Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller in 2005.

Another historic stop is Liebenstein Castle Ruins. They were built around 1100 on a rocky granite spur above the Waldnaab River. Together with the chapel and the simultaneum church, the ruins offer a different way to explore Plößberg’s history than the exhibitions on nativity scenes and glassmaking.

Tirschenreuth: Fishing, Exhibitions and Zoigl

Within the broader travel destination of Tirschenreuth, the MuseumsQuartier in Tirschenreuth offers a focus of its own. Housed in a former monastery, it combines the Upper Palatinate Fisheries Museum with six other specialized exhibitions. Visitors can explore nearly 1,000 years of fishing and fish farming history and see native fish in four large aquariums. Special exhibitions, talks, readings and concerts are also held regularly; individual dates may change.

At the center of Fischhof Park in Tirschenreuth are the historic Fischhof Bridge and the Fischhof, which houses the district court. Regional food and drink are also associated with Tirschenreuth: the district is best known for Zoigl, the traditional beer of the Upper Palatinate Forest, as well as carp from the pond landscapes of the “Land of 1,000 Ponds.”

Choose the Focus of Your Stay

Nativity scenes, glassmaking and historic buildings lend themselves to a stronger focus on cultural history. If you also include Tirschenreuth, you can treat its museum and fishing themes as a distinct part of the broader travel destination.

Discover more destinations: Mitterteich, Krummennaab, Falkenberg, Bärnau, Konnersreuth, Neusorg, Kulmain, Erbendorf.

Go to the broader travel overview: Tirschenreuth.