Hohenau: Reverse Glass Painting and Circular Routes

Reverse Glass Painting in Schönbrunn am Lusen

The reverse glass paintings in the Hinterglaseum were created about 200 years ago by the Raimundsreut panel painters. The approximate age and attribution to this group of painters provide a specific historical context for the cultural focus. The Hinterglaseum also offers workshops and courses in its education room. If you would like to explore reverse glass painting in more depth, you can consider these activities as well as viewing the paintings. The exhibition and courses offer different ways to engage with the same subject.

Two Circular Routes, Two Timeframes

The Hohenau-Schönbrunn am Lusen cultural theme trail consists of two circular routes of different lengths, mostly on well-maintained paths. The Hohenau Loop is about 8.5 km long and passes through the hedgerow landscape around Hohenau and alongside moorland. The Schönbrunn Loop is a full-day hike of about 24 km through meadows and stream valleys in the northeastern part of the municipality; it crosses forests on the edge of Bavarian Forest National Park. The difference is clear when planning your time: the Hohenau Loop is the shorter option, while the Schönbrunn Loop takes a full day of hiking.

Freyung-Grafenau as a Regional Setting

Bavarian Forest National Park extends into the district within the wider travel destination of Freyung-Grafenau. It opened on October 7, 1970, as Germany’s first national park. According to the zoning plan dated 2024, 75.37 percent of its area is designated as natural zones. In the Buchberger Leite Wildbach Gorge, steep rock ridges force the Wolfsteiner Ohe, rich in boulders and cascades, into a deeply constricted channel; remnants of primeval forest have been preserved in the moss- and fern-rich gorge forests. An eight-kilometre themed hiking trail with information panels and an accompanying brochure also runs through the Buchberger Leite between Freyung and Ringelai.

Another cultural landmark in Freyung-Grafenau is the Schramlhaus in Freyung. Built around 1700, the house is now the oldest farmstead in Freyung and, in its original condition, one of the oldest in the district of Freyung-Grafenau. It houses more than a hundred original examples of reverse glass painting, classified as sacred folk art. The Wolfsteiner Local History Museum is also located there. This regional site thus complements the theme of reverse glass painting alongside the Hinterglaseum in Schönbrunn am Lusen.

Within the wider travel destination of Freyung-Grafenau, the Gabreta Archaeological Adventure Park adds a Celtic-history perspective to the cultural experience. Its buildings were reconstructed based on original Celtic structures and are symbolic of Celtic artefacts found on Paul Freund Hill. Practical activities for visitors include bread baking; expert-led tours about Celtic life can also be booked. Details of the visitor programme may change.

Discover more destinations: Hinterschmiding, Neuschönau, Waldkirchen, Sankt Oswald-Riedlhütte, Perlesreut, Spiegelau, Innernzell, Röhrnbach.

Back to the wider travel overview: Freyung-Grafenau.