The natural monument Pfaffenstein is a collection of rocks stacked on top of one another in a forest clearing. Particularly striking is the round “stone ball” with its summit cross. Several hiking routes lead to rock formations. To help plan your day, two tours offer a specific comparison of distance and approximate duration.
Hiking to Pfaffenstein
The Pfaffenstein circular trail Wd02 is 8.3 km long. It runs from the centre of Wald via Kolmberg, Wilder Mann, Wasserstein, the Pfaffenstein natural monument and Spannberg, then back to the town centre. If you are looking for another circular route to the rocks, you can take a varied circular hiking trail that starts at the hiking car park in Kolmberg. Kolmberg is a district of the municipality of Wald. The Steinewanderung – Kolmberg also leads from Wald via Kolmberg to Pfaffenstein and back to Wald via Kolmberg.
Four hiking trails described by Hildegard Auburger lead to rock formations. The parish of Wald was first mentioned in 1135, so the town’s history also goes back a long way.
Two tours with different durations
The valley and mountain hike starts at Wald Town Hall and follows hiking trails No. 146 and 154. It is 12.5 km long and takes about four hours. The monastery tour starts at St. Lawrence Parish Church, follows hiking trails No. 153 and 47, and partly uses the Goldsteig trail. At 15.8 km and about five hours, it is the longer of the two tours. The times given are estimates and help you gauge the planned hiking day.
The monastery tour also passes the former Benedictine Abbey of Reichenbach and the former Cistercian monastery of Walderbach, with its fruit tree educational garden and district museum. If you would rather focus on the route than on these stops, you can consider the shorter valley and mountain hike. Guided hikes are regularly offered in Wald; check for current dates before your trip. The well-maintained hiking trails are also suitable for Nordic walking, although conditions may vary from trail to trail.
Cycle routes and routes to the Regental Valley
The former railway line from Falkenstein to Regensburg runs directly past Wald and has been converted into a walking and cycling path. A 5.75 km cycle link to the Regental cycle path branches off near the old railway bridge on Wutzeldorfer Straße. It passes the children’s playground, goes through the “Am hohen Stein” development and follows Nahenfürster Straße to Nahenfürst.
The hiking trails maintained by the Vorderer Bayerischer Wald Nature Park Association also lead on foot from Wald into the Regental Valley, to Walderbach and Reichenbach. Alongside the routes to Pfaffenstein, there are therefore other trails to destinations in the Regental Valley. The starting points vary: those mentioned include the town hall, St. Lawrence Parish Church, the town centre and the hiking car park in Kolmberg.
Winter activities and getting there
In winter, a cross-country ski trail is groomed along the former railway line; this depends on winter conditions and local operations. When the ice is sufficiently thick, ice stock sport is possible on almost all ponds in Wald. These seasonal activities therefore differ from the hiking and cycling routes described as available year-round.
Four bus services are listed for Wald: RVV route 34 from Regensburg towards Roding via Wald, Kellermeier route 221 from Roding towards Nittenau via Wald, route 220 of Rodinger Verkehrsbetriebe from Roding to Wald, and its route 219 from Cham towards Roding via Wald. Check current timetable details before travelling. When choosing your day’s route, you can also consider whether you would like to start at the town hall, the parish church, the town centre or in Kolmberg.
Discover more destinations: Traitsching, Grafenwiesen, Miltach, Furth Im Wald, Zell, Rimbach, Treffelstein, Eschlkam.
See the overview of the wider area: Cham.
