The Civic Forest to the south and St. Helena Cemetery Church, whose origins date back to around 1360, reveal two different sides of Auerbach i.d.OPf. There are also paved paths for several activities and tennis courts at local clubs. For your stay, you can decide whether to focus on the forest and outdoor activities or on architectural history. More topics related to the landscape and culture can be found in the Amberg-Sulzbach destination.
Civic Forest: Paths for a Range of Activities
The Civic Forest lies south of Auerbach. The continuous woodland covers around 520 hectares and is owned by the city. Numerous paved paths invite you to hike, cycle and ride horses. This means there are several ways to enjoy your leisure time in the forest: you can plan your activities around whether you would rather walk, cycle or ride. The paths and their different uses give the Civic Forest a distinct role alongside the town’s historical and sporting attractions.
Church History and Tennis
St. Helena Cemetery Church in Auerbach dates back to around 1360. This dating takes us far back into the town’s history, without implying a specific amount of time needed for a visit. In terms of the topics you can explore, the church offers a clear contrast with activities in the Civic Forest: here, the focus is on the history of a named building, while there, it is on getting active along paved paths.
Tennis is also available in Auerbach. The three tennis clubs offer a total of 15 outdoor clay courts and one indoor court. This sports offering differs from the activities on the forest paths: tennis is played on club courts, while the Civic Forest’s paths can be used in several ways. Whether non-members can play at the tennis clubs may vary.
More Topics in the Amberg-Sulzbach Destination
The Amberg-Sulzbach region lies in Bavaria between Regensburg and Nuremberg. Hikers will find impressive limestone cliffs, gentle Jurassic hills, extensive forests and charming river valleys. One specific route is the Felsenweg: the 2.7-kilometre hike leads from Sackdilling through the rock labyrinth to the Bauernlöcher; the walking time is about 45 minutes. The approximate walking time and stated distance give you an idea of what to expect on this route, while the region’s landscape extends beyond individual trails.
Mining history is another regional theme. The Erzweg connects sites with a mining tradition spanning more than 1,000 years and passes through cultural and natural landscapes. At Kultur-Schloss Theuern, the East Bavarian Mining and Industry Museum researches and documents the mining and industry of eastern Bavaria, keeping their history alive.
Another special feature in Theuern is the nature observation platform on the edge of the wastewater treatment plant’s polishing ponds. The adjoining wetland, with the Vils River, oxbow lakes and ponds, is a year-round resting and nesting site for local birds and birds that migrate from the north. Thus, alongside cultural history, the Amberg-Sulzbach region also offers landscape and birdlife as distinct topics.
Kirwan celebrations are part of the regional customs of the Amberg-Sulzbach region. Since 2023, they have been part of Bavaria’s intangible cultural heritage; they are celebrated every year in the respective towns and are open to visitors and local residents. If you would like to attend a celebration, check the date for the town in question.
Schlachtschüssel is another defining part of the region’s food culture. Many inns in the Amberg-Sulzbach region serve it regularly. The meal includes Wurschtsuppn, boiled pork and homemade black pudding, liver sausage and bratwurst made to each inn’s own recipes. Dates vary from one inn to another, so check in advance if you would like to include this meal in your plans.
Discover more destinations: Weigendorf, Schnaittenbach, Hohenburg, Etzelwang, Vilseck, Ebermannsdorf, KĂĽmmersbruck, Ammerthal
View the main travel overview: Amberg-Sulzbach.
