Schönsee: Bobbin Lace Tradition, Spa Park and Culture

Schönsee brings together cross-border culture, a vibrant craft tradition, water and routes through the region. You can choose different focuses when planning your trip: the Centrum Bavaria Bohemia, the history of bobbin lace making, time in the spa park, or a cycling or hiking tour.

Culture between Bavaria and the Czech Republic

Since spring 2006, the Centrum Bavaria Bohemia (CeBB) has been a bilingual cultural hub between Bavaria and the Czech Republic. It is housed in the former community brewery, a listed building restored by the town of Schönsee. As an information centre, exhibition forum, and contact and networking centre, the CeBB connects the regions. In Schönsee, cultural exchange and a historic building come together.

Bobbin lace making is another cultural thread. In Schönsee, Stadlern in the district of Schwandorf, and Tiefenbach in the district of Cham, this tradition has been passed down from generation to generation since the 19th century. It remains an important part of local identity. The craft tradition of “Bobbin Lace Making in the Upper Palatinate Forest,” which is also associated with Schönsee, is included in Bavaria’s State Directory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Klöppeltrafo offers a different perspective on this history: the decommissioned transformer hut was transformed into a landmark and hosts exhibitions on bobbin lace making.

Spa Park and Moor Bath

In the heart of Schönsee, the approximately eleven-hectare spa park was developed between 1989 and 1996. It extends around Hahnenweiher and Keckenweiher ponds and along the Ascha. Its features include green spaces, walking paths, water areas, shore zones and biotopes, as well as music stages and playgrounds. The park’s different areas give it several distinct sides: water and nature define the grounds, while paths and stages add further highlights.

The Schönsee Moor Bath is a natural bathing facility with a water area fed by a nearby peat-rich spring. Facilities include toilets and changing cabins. The moor bath adds a dedicated natural bathing option to the water areas in the spa park.

Cycling and Hiking Trails, Theatre and the Lake Festival

Schönsee has over 120 kilometres of signposted cycling and hiking trails, inviting visitors to explore the region across the border. One specifically named cycling route is the Aschatal Cycle Route: it follows the Ascha from Schönsee to the historic town of Neunburg vorm Wald. It starts in Schönsee-Weberhäuser, at the junction where the Schwarzachtal Cycle Route branches off towards the Czech Republic. Visitors can use both the wider network of marked trails and a route with a clearly named start and destination for orientation.

In summer, “Irrlichter” and “Pascher” are performed at the open-air stage on Eulenberg in Friedrichshäng, a district of Schönsee. The Schönsee Lake Festival takes place every year on the last Sunday in July and ends after dark with a grand firework display. If you are planning your trip around the festival, check the exact programme in advance.

Schwandorf as the Wider Travel Area

As a wider travel destination, the district of Schwandorf is a holiday region in the Upper Palatinate Forest. The Upper Palatinate Lake District in Schwandorf district is a region shaped by water and varied landscapes. The approximately nine-kilometre Weiher Cycle Route is also part of this wider area: it connects Schwandorf with Lake Murner See, is signposted continuously in both directions and passes through the Charlottenhofer Weiher Nature Reserve. The gneiss at Hochfels in Schwandorf district was included in Bavaria’s list of the 100 most beautiful geotopes.

Discover More Destinations

Neukirchen-Balbini, Bruck in der Oberpfalz, Neunburg vorm Wald, Trausnitz, Oberviechtach, Schmidgaden, Nabburg

Back to the main travel overview: Schwandorf.