Schwarzenbach connects the Northern Upper Palatinate Forest Nature Park with cycling routes, rolling hills and the Haidenaab floodplains. The town is located in the Upper Palatinate hills, at the foot of the Eichelberg and beside the Haidenaab floodplains. For your stay, you can choose between tours around Schwarzenbach and a detour to the surrounding area; the landscape and routes offer a range of ways to explore.

Landscape and Schießlweiher

The Schießlweiher nature reserve, part of an old chain of ponds, lies near Schwarzenbach. The ponds once supplied the hammer mills in the Haidenaab Valley with a steady supply of water. Today, the pond is also shaped by its distinctive habitats: very low nutrient levels in the catchment areas of its feeder streams have contributed to the development of rare pond-bottom flora and a boggy zone where the pond is gradually filling in.

The Bavarian Nature Conservation Fund owns Schießlweiher and helps protect rare and endangered species there, including amphibians and dragonflies. Paths run south and east of the lake, offering good views of it. To protect the area where the pond is filling in, please stay on these paths. This lets you include the pond in your plans while respecting the designated precautions for its sensitive shoreline.

The Haidenaab is also part of the municipality’s landscape: it flows through the municipal area, and its banks provide habitats for rare plants and birds. This is distinct from the more specific description of the town, which lies at the foot of the Eichelberg and beside the Haidenaab floodplains.

Cycling and getting around

The Haidenaab-Creußen Valley Floodplain Cycle Route and the Leuchtenberg Tour pass through Schwarzenbach. The Radl-Point, with parking and information about the cycling network, is at the start of Pechhofer Straße. If you are planning a cycling tour, you can use the local network information there; check current trail conditions before setting off. Other activities in Schwarzenbach include running, Nordic walking, hiking and mountain biking. These options offer different ways to explore, without prescribing a particular itinerary.

Schwarzenbach also has a railway station on the Weiden–Bayreuth line. Check current train services and choose a suitable connection before travelling. When choosing accommodation, it helps to start with your own travel plans: will you focus on the routes and nature in Schwarzenbach, or would you also like to include destinations in the wider Neustadt An Der Waldnaab travel region?

History and places to stop

Schwarzenbach was already mentioned in the 1285 Herzogsurbar, a ducal register, as a ducal estate belonging to Waldeck Castle. This historical reference gives the town a long history, while the renovated manor house in Pechhof is considered a particularly interesting sight. Pechhof is part of the municipality of Schwarzenbach; the manor house is another local point of interest, alongside the landscape and cycling routes.

One place to stop for refreshments is the village shop in Schwarzenbach. Guests can enjoy a snack, ice cream, or coffee and cake in the cosy café corner. Before visiting, check whether these are currently available and when the shop is open. This will help you plan a stop during your stay without assuming fixed opening hours.

The wider Neustadt An Der Waldnaab travel region

If you are planning a stay beyond Schwarzenbach, you can also include the wider Neustadt An Der Waldnaab travel region. The district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab is in the Upper Palatinate Forest destination and offers activities including hiking, cycling, museum visits and swimming in numerous bathing waters. A longer route option in the area is the Bockl: this 52-kilometre route runs from Neustadt an der Waldnaab to Eslarn along a historic railway line and can be travelled on foot, by bike or on inline skates. It is mostly paved and traffic-free, with gradients of more than three percent occurring only rarely. This gives you a specific route option to consider for a wider-ranging trip, alongside the cycling routes that pass through Schwarzenbach.

Discover more destinations: Neustadt An Der Waldnaab, Kirchenthumbach, Flossenbürg, Waidhaus, Windischeschenbach, Floß, Luhe-Wildenau, Moosbach.

Back to the main travel overview: Neustadt An Der Waldnaab.