Schönsee: Culture, spa park and bobbin lace tradition

Culture between Bavaria and the Czech Republic

Since spring 2006, the Bavaria Bohemia Centre in Schönsee has served as a bilingual, cross-border cultural hub. It is housed in the listed former communal brewery building, which the town of Schönsee renovated. As an information centre, exhibition forum, and contact and networking point, the CeBB connects the regions. Both cultural work and the building’s history are among the town’s distinctive features.

Bobbin lace making is another strand of the town’s culture. In Schönsee, Stadlern in the district of Schwandorf, and Tiefenbach in the district of Cham, this craft has been passed down from generation to generation since the 19th century. It remains an essential part of local identity. The tradition of “Bobbin Lace Making in the Upper Palatinate Forest,” which is also associated with Schönsee, is included in Bavaria’s State Directory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Schönsee therefore brings together a craft passed down through generations and its recognition as cultural heritage.

Bobbin lace tradition in the townscape

The Klöppeltrafo also showcases bobbin lace making in a distinctive building: the former transformer hut has been decommissioned, transformed into a local landmark and now hosts exhibitions on bobbin lace making. Together with the tradition passed down through generations, it represents two different connections to the craft: its living practice and its presentation in a repurposed building.

Spa park and moor swimming area

The spa park is in the heart of Schönsee. It was created between 1989 and 1996 around the small lakes Hahnenweiher and Keckenweiher and along the Ascha River. Covering about 11 hectares, it includes green spaces, walking paths, bodies of water, waterside areas, biotopes, music stages and playgrounds. The park brings together different landscape features and uses: paths and waterside areas sit alongside bodies of water and biotopes, with stages and playgrounds as well.

The Schönsee moor swimming area offers another way to enjoy the water. This natural bathing facility has a swimming area supplied by a nearby spring containing moor water. The facility also has sanitary facilities and changing rooms. Unlike the small lakes in the spa park, the moor swimming area is specifically designed for swimming.

Cycle routes and summer events

Schönsee has more than 120 kilometres of signposted cycling and hiking trails for exploring the region. One specifically named route is the Aschatal Cycle Route, which follows the Ascha River from Schönsee to the town of Neunburg vorm Wald, formerly a residence of the Counts Palatine. It starts in Schönsee-Weberhäuser, at the junction where the Schwarzachtal Cycle Route branches off towards the Czech Republic. Visitors can therefore use both an extensive network of trails and a cycle route with clearly identified start and end points.

Summer events are also part of what Schönsee has to offer. Every summer, “Irrlichter” and “Pascher” are performed at the open-air stage on Eulenberg in the district of Friedrichshäng. The Lake Festival takes place every year on the last Sunday in July and ends after nightfall with a large fireworks display. If you are planning your trip around a festival, check the exact programme in advance. This makes it easy to include cultural venues, green spaces, cycle routes and seasonal events in your stay, according to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Stadlern, Pfreimd, Wernberg-Köblitz, Neunburg Vorm Wald, Schwarzenfeld, Nabburg, Oberviechtach.

For the broader travel overview: Schwandorf.