GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- Small hiking trails and tumble-down castle ruins are tucked into the hills and hamlets of eastern Bavaria.
With a little driving and know-how, local residents can discover leisure hikes, quaint towns and bits of feudal history in an afternoon.
Kallmuenz
A few kilometers east of Hohenfels, Kallmuenz is a gem that sits at the confluence of the Vils and Naab rivers. Restaurants and cafes abut the Naab and fishermen perch along its shores to cast their lines.
The town once a meeting place for artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Muenter and has an arty ambiance. Galleries, brightly colored houses, sculptures, paintings and kitschy cafes line the main street. There's even a lime green house built into the rock cliffs.
The Kallmuenz Castle looms on a cliff directly above the town. Visitors must climb a series of steep and fairly slippery steps to reach the ruins.
The sharp ascent is easily worth it. The ruins at the top -- a wall, castle, well, tower and outbuilding -- are extensive and ripe for exploring, especially for adventurous children.
To access the trailhead, go up the steps between the church and the Burg Apotheke on the main street. Follow the steps past homes and behind gardens and head up the hill.
Kallmuenz is 12.5 kilometers east of Hohenfels off of St. 2165. You can also ride your bike to Kallmuenz. The Fuenf-Fluesse bike path, which heads from Amberg to Regensburg to Nuremberg and back to Amberg, passes through the town. Kallmuenz is 38 kilometers from Amberg on the way to Regensburg.
Parkstein
Parkstein, a small Oberpfalzer town built on a long-dormant volcano, sits halfway between Grafenwoehr and Weiden.
Both the volcano's geological and manmade attractions draw day-trippers looking for an easy outdoor excursion.
Driving up the volcano through the town, visitors arrive at a parking lot nestled under tall basalt cliffs.
Multiple trailheads leading to the top of the volcano branch off from the parking lot. The trail behind the Brauerei is more direct, but steeper.
Following the road around the cliff will leading to a more gradual, but more scenic route to the top. Scattered along this trail are explanations and examples of the geological wonders at work on the hill.
The trails converge on fortress ruins worn down enough to be scampered over and walked upon.
From here, hikers can follow elaborate mosaic renderings of the Stations of the Cross a short distance up the hill. At the top, they can visit the small, but beautiful church and admire the view.
Stamsried
The Kuernberg castle ruins, located 600 meters above sea level, a kilometer from the town of Stamsried, has been part of the landscape for over 650 years.
Tucked into the Bavarian Forest near the Czech border, the castle is considered to be some of the best-preserved ruins in the area.
Trekkers to the site drive through Stamsried and park at the trailhead one kilometer from town. The foot trail to the ruins is largely flat, easy and shaded. But, it's most appealing qualities are the oddities along the path.
Novelties, quirky sculptures and games -- like a large hanging xylophone -- line the trail up to the castle.
Once at the ruins, visitors can explore the castle walls and even picnic on the grass within the ruins. There is even a fire pit built into the ground that hikers -- provided they have wood -- can use for warmth or cooking.
Social Sharing