The Straubing-Bogen holiday region is shaped by the Bavarian Forest, the fertile Gäuboden and the Danube. One notable cultural site is Bogenberg, one of Bavaria’s oldest Marian pilgrimage sites still in active use. The Holzkirchen Candle Pilgrimage takes place every year at Pentecost at the pilgrimage church. The mountain also offers a museum perspective on the subject.

Pilgrimage, Bavarian lozenges and monastic history

The Bogenberg District Museum presents the mountain as Lower Bavaria’s Holy Mountain and the site of one of Bavaria’s oldest Marian pilgrimages. Another historical focus is the Bavarian lozenge pattern: the museum explores its history, from the Counts of Windberg-Bogen and its use by the Wittelsbachs and in the Bavarian state coat of arms to its role as a symbol of Bavaria. The museum’s exhibits thus bring together regional history of rule and a symbol of Bavaria.

The museum offers individually designed guided tours about Bogenberg for groups of ten or more and school classes. These can also be booked outside opening hours with advance notice by phone or in writing. Advance booking and the limited target group are important to bear in mind when planning.

Windberg offers a different historical perspective. The medieval village sits on a scenic hill at an elevation of 420 metres and affords panoramic views of the mountains of the Bavarian Forest, the Bogenbach Valley and the Danube Plain. The medieval monastery complex—with its basilica, prelature, court building and craftsmen’s house—has largely been preserved.

Trails in Wiesenfelden: ponds and Kobelberg

The accessible circular trail around Beckenweiher is 2.3 kilometres long and suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Five information points focus on the animal and plant life, the site’s protected status and the history of the pond. They feature information boards and benches, as well as a 110-metre-long nature observation boardwalk. The circular trail thus combines nature observation with information about this specific place.

The Kobelberg nature trail in Wiesenfelden is about 4.5 kilometres long and has nine stations. It is suitable for pushchairs and is cleared of snow in winter. Both trails are suitable for pushchairs; the Beckenweiher circular trail is also suitable for wheelchairs, while winter snow clearance is specified for the Kobelberg trail. The routes also differ considerably in length.

Cycling between day trips and the Gäuboden

In Bogen, the Kultur-Tour, Biergarten-Tour and Tour Links und Rechts der Donau are day trips for families with children. Another regional cycling highlight is the Labertal cycle path: in the Straubing-Bogen district, it crosses the Gäuboden via flat cycle paths and quiet side roads. The Bogen tours are described as day trips, while the flat terrain and type of road offer guidance when choosing a route on the Labertal cycle path. As route conditions can change locally, check them before setting off.

Get involved and experience the heights

At the Bayerwald Xperium, visitors learn about natural phenomena and the natural sciences by trying things out for themselves at more than 100 interactive stations. The bee trail in the Europapark Bayern-Böhmen in Bogen explores honeybees in a different way: information boards and a real bee colony share fascinating facts about the insects.

The WaldWipfelWeg in Maibrunn near Sankt Englmar offers another perspective on the landscape. Its accessible walking trail runs above the treetops and reaches heights of up to 30 metres. The NaturErlebnisPfad adds interactive stations, climbing opportunities and animals such as alpacas, llamas, sheep and kangaroos. The WaldWipfelWeg is also home to the unique Haus am Kopf, found nowhere else in Bavaria: it stands entirely on its roof, and everything inside is upside down.

Express bus route 58 serves the WaldWipfelWeg hourly from Viechtach and Bogen railway stations. Check the current timetable before travelling. In Sankt Englmar, the toboggan run features the Bayerwald-Bob and the Bayerwald-Coaster; both tracks are 1,000 metres long and can be used in any weather.

Discover more destinations

Mitterfels, Sankt Englmar, Wiesenfelden, Straubing, Rattenberg, Konzell, Haibach, Ascha, Geiselhöring, Schwarzach, Rattiszell, Hunderdorf, Aiterhofen, Kirchroth, Neukirchen, Bogen, Windberg, Stallwang, Steinach, Salching, Perasdorf, Haselbach, Atting

For the higher-level travel overview: Bavaria.