Weekend Getaway to the Bavarian Forest

Due to Corona vacationing in one's own country became significantly more attractive again than in previous years. Whether with a camper or without: one of the top vacation regions in southern Germany is definitely the Bavarian Forest with its countless excursion options and activities.

We have compiled a few of them for you in this article.

In the map you will find our recommendations:

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Our top 3 recommendations:

1. Hiking & "Schnaps-tasting" 2. Experience wild animals up close 3. Get a unique view to the Bavarian Forest

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1. Hiking and "Schnaps-tasting" in Spiegelau

A particularly beautiful area in the Bavarian Forest (especially for hiking) is the community of Spiegelau in the district of Freyung-Grafenau. The resort with <4,000 inhabitants is located in close proximity to the Bavarian Forest National Park and the Czech border.

Besides to many hiking trails, there is also a small distillery, where you can taste delicious locally distilled schnapps. In addition, you will find several small restaurants, a glass factory and stores for daily needs.

If you are looking for a suitable accommodation, we can recommend the vacation apartments at Jägerfleck (by the way: there is also a small place for camping).

The district "Jägerfleck" is located just outside the village center. This has the great advantage that you are in the middle of nature, directly on the border to the national park. From there you can start directly by foot to one of the numerous hiking routes and enjoy the idyllic surroundings.

Our personal highlight was that we could see (and photograph) the Milky Way from our balcony: a unique experience for us. On the following photo you can see the result. We love the picture - meanwhile it hangs in our bedroom and we love to think back to the beautiful evening and the starry night sky at the Bavarian Forest.

For those of you who like to be a little closer to the center, there are of course plenty of other accommodation options in Spiegelau and the surrounding area.

Hiking trails and recreation areas

In and around Spiegelau you will find many different hiking trails, which lead partly through forest and partly through open terrain. The hiking trails are named after different animals and plants of the region and are well signposted. You can get a map with the individual routes and detailed descriptions at the tourist information center in Spiegelau.

We especially recommend a hike to the "Racheldiensthütte".

You can reach the Racheldiensthütte both via the hiking trail "Steinpilz" and the hiking trail "Ahornblatt" (total distance is about 15km).

We hiked to the hut via the hiking trail "Steinpilz" and back via the hiking trail Ahornblatt. The latter is absolutely breathtaking, as it leads across small streams, "swampy" terrain and incredibly beautiful nature (note: not suitable for bicycles). There are also wildlife camera traps on the trail from time to time, as this is the place to observe how the lynx population is developing in the national park. For this reason, you should not leave the predetermined trail.

Another recommendation is the circular hiking trail "Fuchs" with a length of approx. 8.4 km.

The trail leads mostly through the forest where you will also pass a forest playground with a nature adventure trail and the impressive Martinswiese.

The Martinswiese was only a few minutes away from our accommodation at Jägerfleck. Therefore, we spent nearly every evening there and enjoyed the idyll on a small bench. Thereby some deer passed us.

Below you can see the view of our favorite spot at the Martinswiese:

Other hiking routes that you might like:

• Circular hiking trail "Kolkrabe" (2.1 km): from Neuhütte on paved paths, hardly any steep inclines, mainly in the forest
  

• Circular hiking trail "Spitzmaus" (2.9 km): from parking lot/stop Klingenbrunn train station on paved paths or forest paths, hardly any steep inclines, mainly in the forest
  

• Circular hiking trail "Hischgeweih" (3.2 km): from parking lot/stop Taferlruck on paved paths with few steep inclines, exclusively in the forest
  

• Circular hiking trail "Marienkäfer" (5 km): from parking lot Naturbad on forest paths (mainly in the forest) with few steep inclines
  

• Circular hiking trail "Steinforelle" (7 km): from the center of Spiegelau on paved paths or forest paths with some steep inclines, mainly in the forest but also in open terrain
  

• Circular hiking trail "Feldhase" (7 km): from P+R Spiegelau/Camping Klingenbrunn on paved paths, almost exclusively in the forest with few steep inclines
  

• Circular hiking trail "Mallard" (7 km): from Oberkreuzberg on paved paths or forest paths with some steep inclines, mainly in the forest but also open terrain
  

• Circular hiking trail "Jay" (9 km): from Klingenbrunn on forest paths (only partially paved) with partly steep inclines, mainly in the forest

2. Experience wild animals up close: the animal outdoor area in Lusen

Totally worth seeing is the animal outdoor area in the National Park Center Lusen (about 13km from Spiegelau) - it is easily accessible by car as well as public buses. The entrance to the area is free of charge. Besides bears, wolves and elks, you can also observe lynxes, bison, beavers and various birds of prey with a little luck.

For us an absolute highlight was the red deer and wild boar enclosure, which is freely accessible to visitors (dogs are not allowed here). You walk through a spacious area and can marvel at the wild animals in their "natural" environment - feeding is of course not allowed.

To get an impression of it, click through the small slide show in this post. As always, you can find more photos in our gallery.

3. Unique view to the Bavarian Forest: the treetop path in the Lusen National Park Center

Directly adjacent to the open-air animal enclosure is a 1.3 km long treetop path. Here you can hike along a path made of wooden boards towards the treetops at heights of up to 25m (barrier-free) and enjoy the Bavarian Forest from a unique perspective.

The treetop path in the Bavarian Forest is very lovingly designed. For example, there are many information boards and a "dexterity path" along the way.

At the end of the trail you will reach an observation tower, which looks like an egg.

Inside the tower you can climb even higher and at the end you will be rewarded with a wonderful view over the Bavarian Forest and the Alps.

For those of you who are hungry after the hike, there is a small restaurant not far from the lookout tower where you can stop to eat or sip an iced coffee.

The treetop path is certainly one of the main tourist attractions, so it is also relatively busy. The entrance fees are with 10€ per adult and 8€ per child from 6 years certainly not without merit. Nevertheless, we can absolutely recommend this excursion.

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What do you think is one of the top travel destinations in Germany? Feel free to write us in the comments or send us your ideas via our contact form.