Waldthurn: Cross-country ski trails, circular routes and culture
Accommodation in Waldthurn
Waldthurn combines cross-country ski trails on the Fahrenberg with circular hiking trails and sites of cultural and historical interest. These attractions offer different ways to plan a stay in the town: cross-country skiing, routes through the countryside and insights into the region’s history.
Waldthurn mit der Pfarrkirche St. Sebastian im Landkreis Neustadt an der Waldnaab
Photo: Alois Köppl, Gleiritsch (= Zusatz) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cross-country skiing and hiking trails
The Fahrenberg cross-country ski centre offers trails measuring 2, 4, 7 and 12 kilometres. The stated difficulty levels range from easy to moderate; the starting point is the Waldthurn–Neuenhammer car park. The trail lengths give you a clear basis for choosing how far you would like to ski. For a group, the length and difficulty level can also be useful points of comparison, without implying a particular journey time.
Two circular hiking trails of similar length but with different starting points are available. The 10-kilometre Kneipp circular trail starts at the leisure complex on the eastern edge of Waldthurn, on the road to Neuenhammer. It passes through forests and meadows; in the Fahrenberg area, there are viewpoints overlooking the Upper Palatinate countryside. The second trail is 10.5 kilometres long and starts at the OWV Waldthurn ski lodge, by a car park on the road to Neuenhammer. When choosing between the two routes, you can consider the described scenery and the respective starting point.
Circular trails and local history
The Nature and Culture Trail is a circular route around the market town of Waldthurn. Information boards along the route cover nature, history and culture. There is also an observation tower along the way: it is called the Motte because of its shape. The circular route thus brings together different themes and a distinctive viewpoint in a single route description.
A separate history trail runs around the pond at the leisure complex. Ten information boards are located there, covering the history of the Waldthurn region from the Stone Age to the territorial reform. The two trails have different emphases: the Nature and Culture Trail features boards on three subject areas, while the history trail focuses on the region’s development over time.
Fahrenberg, pilgrimage and art
The Pilgrimage Church of the Visitation of Mary is located on the Fahrenberg above Waldthurn. According to tradition, a member of a religious order brought a statue of the Virgin Mary from the Holy Land in 1204. A chapel was built onto a castle, and the image of Mary was placed there for veneration; according to tradition, this marked the beginning of the pilgrimage to the Fahrenberg.
In the church, the altarpiece on the left side altar depicts the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth.
More attractions in Waldthurn
The Potato Technology Museum is one of Waldthurn’s three small museums. The Waldthurn bike facility, also known as the Waldthurn pump track, is located at Badeweiher 32. Together with the cross-country ski trails and circular routes, this offers a range of activities and attractions, including cross-country skiing, hiking, local history, art and a designated bike facility.
Discover more destinations: Störnstein, Grafenwöhr, Theisseil, Floß, Vohenstrauß, Moosbach, Eschenbach In Der Oberpfalz, Waidhaus.
Go to the main travel overview: Neustadt an der Waldnaab district.
