Hiking trails, churches and monastic history offer different ways to explore Thyrnau. When planning your visit, you can decide whether to focus on longer routes, a specific pilgrimage stage or historic architecture. The sights and trails also vary considerably in focus: from the 450-kilometre Donausteig to historic pilgrimage sites and a liturgical vestment embroidery workshop in the monastery.
Hiking trails on different scales
The 450-kilometre Donausteig opened in July 2010. It runs from Passau via Linz to Grein and also passes through the municipality of Thyrnau. The 25-kilometre Way of St. James stage from Untergriesbach to Passau is on a different scale: it passes through Thyrnau and by the St. Christopher Church. The 25 kilometres refer to this stage; the length given for the Donausteig is for the entire trail.
The Goldsteig premium trail also passes through the municipality. It approaches from the direction of Hauzenberg, runs from the Staffelbachtal via KaindlmĂĽhle and the Erlautal, and continues towards Passau. These route descriptions provide different points of reference for planning a hike: the long route with its endpoints, a Way of St. James stage with a stated distance, and the named landscape sections along the Goldsteig. The description of the Way of St. James stage also links the route to a specific church.
Views and churches in Kellberg and Thyrnau
From Max-Höhe in Kellberg, the panoramic view extends across the Bavarian Forest, the Bohemian Forest, the Sauwald and the Neubürger Wald. On a clear day, you can also see the Dachstein and the Berchtesgaden Alps. From here, you can count 36 church towers. The viewpoint thus combines broad views across several landscapes with a precise detail on the horizon.
Kellberg is also home to the parish church of St. Blaise. Its present nave was completed around 1450. The church contains tombs and memorials to Degenhard II von Watzmannsdorf (d. 1506), Margarete Tengler, née von Steinach, and Julis Benedikt Freiherr von Schätzl (d. 1598). They are representative of other historically significant people buried there.
The parish church of St. Francis Xavier in Thyrnau was originally a pilgrimage church; its construction and furnishings are in the Rococo style. The Church of St. Christopher has another connection to pilgrimage: it was a pilgrimage site before 1597 and is located on the Way of St. James stage from Untergriesbach to Passau. The churches thus bring together different historical features: Rococo architecture and furnishings, tombs and memorials in Kellberg, and former pilgrimage functions in Thyrnau.
Monastic history and liturgical vestment embroidery
A castle, then used as a hunting lodge, once stood on the site of today’s monastery in Thyrnau. After it was sold to Cistercian nuns from Veceline in France, it was converted into a monastery in 1902. The history of the site can thus be traced through its changing uses: from hunting lodge to monastery.
Today, the Cistercian nuns run a liturgical vestment embroidery workshop at the monastery, renowned beyond the country’s borders for its church textiles. This is a distinct cultural point of interest alongside the architecture and pilgrimage history of the churches. When planning your visit, consider whether you are more interested in this historical and artisanal tradition or in the specific churches and routes described here.
Local information and regional sights
The Thyrnau-Kellberg Tourist Information Office is located at St.-Blasius-StraĂźe 10 in Kellberg, 94136 Thyrnau. Check the current opening hours before visiting.
In the wider Passau destination, the Bavarian Forest Museum Village in Tittling offers another perspective on regional architecture and everyday life. It is one of the largest open-air museums in Europe. Across 20 hectares, visitors can explore more than 100 residential and agricultural buildings from the Bavarian Forest dating from 1580 to 1890. The museum village includes farmsteads, mills, sawmills, smithies, chapels and field monuments, as well as Germany’s oldest primary school, dating from 1666. A visit to this museum is a distinct regional attraction alongside the churches and monastery in Thyrnau.
Discover more destinations: Kellberg, Windorf, Hutthurm, Vilshofen an der Donau, Wegscheid, Hauzenberg, Neukirchen vorm Wald, Ruhstorf.
View the main travel overview: Passau.
