Discover Cham: Culture, History and Leisure

Art, Museums and Local History

The Cordonhaus is a solid, two-storey building dating from the 16th century. Its courtyard has an arcaded gallery unique to Cham. On the ground floor, the event hall hosts readings, talks, theatre performances, exhibitions and workshops.

The second floor houses an exhibition on the prehistory and early history of the municipality of Cham and its surrounding area. Distribution and archaeological find maps, excavated objects, original artefacts, reproductions and explanatory texts illustrate traces of the first human visits and settlement in the Cham-Furth depression. The exhibition combines different types of visual material with the history of the region.

Since 1991, the SPUR Museum in Cham has displayed paintings, sculptures and works on paper by the SPUR group from 1957 to 1965. It also houses a permanent exhibition about the 1959 anti-war film “The Bridge,” supplemented by photographs of the filming that have not previously been shown. The museum is located in a former late-Gothic poorhouse whose history dates back to the 16th century.

At the Radio Museum, rooms arranged by historical period trace the development of radio and television technology, audio and image recording, telecommunications and electroacoustics. Those who would like to do more than view technical subjects in an exhibition can visit the Physics and Technology Discovery Centre, with more than 100 interactive stations where visitors can experience and learn the fundamentals of electrical physics and electrical engineering.

Old Town, Architectural History and Guided Tours

The Biertor is the only one of the town’s four gates to have survived. It was formerly known as the Burgtor and probably dates from the 14th century. The “Discover Cham” guided tour takes visitors through the old town. Topics include the market square fountain, the Biertor and the Marseillaise, which is played from the town hall every day at 12:05 p.m. Among the figures at the fountain are Count Luckner and the forest witch with her children. Check the current tour dates in advance.

The “Executioners, Sorcerers and Vagabonds” guided tour explores the justice system of the 17th century and visits the courtroom in the old town. The “When Legends Suddenly Come to Life” interactive town tour is designed for primary school classes and features mysterious encounters, activities and surprises. For both offerings, the relevant information in the town’s cultural programme is a good reference; the interactive town tour is specifically aimed at primary school classes.

The “Chamer Anno Dazu Mahl” offers another combination of local history and good food: the guided stroll visits three historic inns and pairs stories from old Cham with a three-course meal in the inn dining rooms. Check the current cultural programme for dates before adding this experience to your plans.

Along the Regen and by Bike

Cham Leisure Pool includes a river swimming area on the Regen, with a bathing jetty for easy access in and out of the water. Facilities also include a fun wave pool, a 50-metre sports pool, a diving pool with a 5-metre platform, a heated pool, and a funnel slide and wide wave slide. For younger visitors, there is a children’s paddling pool with mini slides and a large play area; beach volleyball and table tennis are also available. Check the latest operating information before your visit.

The Meranweg runs along the Regen and leads to the “Maria Hilf” monastery church. The Chambtal cycle route starts in Cham and runs via Arnschwang, Furth im Wald and Eschlkam to the border crossing into Bohemia. The route is almost entirely flat and traffic-free, following mostly paved cycle paths. The section to Furth im Wald forms part of the Munich–Regensburg–Pilsen–Prague long-distance cycle route.

At the cycle route hub in the district town of Cham, there is a cycling information pavilion and lockable bike boxes. Information boards provide route details for longer tours; public transport timetables are also available there. The tourist information office is located directly on Cham’s market square and is certified under the “Travel for All” accessibility scheme. Cham is also home to a nature park information centre, which provides information about special places to visit and the Upper Bavarian Forest Nature Park. Check the information centre’s current operating details before visiting.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Waldmünchen, Hohenwarth, Lohberg, Schorndorf, Michelsneukirchen, Roding, Rimbach, Arnschwang, Arrach, Eschlkam, Falkenstein, Gleißenberg, Neukirchen Heiligblut, Furth im Wald, Lam, Bad Kötzting, Grafenwiesen, Weiding.

For the overview of the wider region: Bavaria.