Rattiszell: Pilgramsberg and Nature Experience Trail

Pilgrimage and views at Pilgramsberg

The Marian pilgrimage at Pilgramsberg began in 1839. According to tradition, Georg Fenzel, a devout farmhand, placed his statue of the Virgin Mary on the high altar at that time. The feast day of the pilgrimage church of St. Ursula at Pilgramsberg is associated with October 21. Thus, the origins of the pilgrimage and the church’s feast day come together at the same place.

Pilgramsberg also offers sweeping views across the mountain range of the Bavarian Forest and out to the Danube Valley. When visibility is clear, the view reaches as far as the Alps. The panorama is a highlight in its own right alongside a visit to the pilgrimage church: it extends beyond the immediate surroundings, but is specifically dependent on clear days.

Nature Experience Trail and quarry

The Pilgramsberg Nature Experience Trail is about 3 kilometers long and has eight stations. They offer insights into the local flora and fauna. The stations give the route a particular focus, while its approximate length also helps you plan it as a separate activity. An abandoned quarry lies along the nature trail north of St. Ursula Church. It serves as a landmark along the trail; this does not mean that the route passes through the quarry.

If you’re particularly interested in nature, you can focus on the stations and their themes. The pilgrimage’s history, the views and the trail appeal to different interests at Pilgramsberg. This lets you tailor your visit to whether you’d like to focus more on culture, scenery or observing nature.

More cultural destinations in Straubing-Bogen

In the wider Straubing-Bogen travel region, the Bogenberg District Museum complements the pilgrimage themes with regional history. The museum offers customized guided tours about Bogenberg for groups of ten or more and school classes. These can also be booked outside opening hours with advance notice by phone or in writing. The offer is therefore limited to specific visitor groups and requires advance booking.

Among other topics, the museum explores the history of the Bavarian lozenges: from the Counts of Windberg-Bogen and their use by the Wittelsbachs and in the Bavarian State Coat of Arms, to their role as a symbol of Bavaria. It also presents Bogenberg as the Holy Mountain of Lower Bavaria and as the site of one of Bavaria’s oldest Marian pilgrimage traditions. Bogenberg is one of Bavaria’s oldest Marian pilgrimage sites where the tradition is still alive today; every year at Pentecost, the Holzkirchen Candle Pilgrimage takes place at the pilgrimage church there. These traditions are associated with Bogenberg and should be distinguished from the history of the pilgrimage at Pilgramsberg.

For a different way to explore nature and knowledge, visit Bayerwald Xperium: at more than 100 experiment stations, visitors can learn about natural phenomena and the natural sciences through hands-on activities. While the Pilgramsberg Nature Experience Trail offers insights into local flora and fauna, experimentation is the focus at the Xperium. The two attractions therefore have different thematic focuses.

Compare trails and plan your stay

The wider Straubing-Bogen travel region also offers trails in Wiesenfelden with different features to help you find your way. The Kobelberg Nature Experience Trail is about 4.5 kilometers long and has nine stations; it is suitable for strollers and is cleared in winter. Compared with the Pilgramsberg Nature Experience Trail, which is about 3 kilometers long, its length, number of stations and explicitly stated stroller accessibility offer different points of comparison.

The accessible circular trail around Beckenweiher in Wiesenfelden is 2.3 kilometers long and suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. Five information points with benches and information boards cover the flora and fauna, the area’s protected status and the history of Beckenweiher. There is also a 110-meter-long nature observation boardwalk. These details allow you to compare the routes by length and facilities without treating them as equivalent.

The places and trails described offer different highlights; plan your visit around the destinations you actually want to include.

Discover more destinations: Konzell, Sankt Englmar, Rattenberg, Schwarzach, Mitterfels, Hunderdorf, Wiesenfelden.

View the wider travel guide: Straubing-Bogen.