Discover Hohenburg: Church, hiking trails and bat house

Hohenburg offers a variety of things to enjoy during a stay: architecture, hiking and nature watching. St. James Parish Church, the juniper hiking trail and the bat house appeal to different interests that you can take into account when choosing your destination.

Church and Bat House

St. James Parish Church combines Romanesque, Late Gothic and Baroque elements. The different architectural styles give the church its own distinctive character. St. James Parish Church in Hohenburg is also a worthwhile stop on the Lauterach Valley Cycle Route.

Another notable feature is the greater mouse-eared bat: at the Hohenburg Bat House, you can watch the animals live using infrared cameras. The building is also home to a maternity roost of this species. A maternity roost is a summer roost where bats give birth to and raise their young. The bat house thus offers a specific opportunity to observe the animals and learn about how they raise their young.

Hiking Trails and Landscape

The juniper hiking trail runs along the slopes of the Lauterach Valley, also known as the “Tuscany of the Upper Palatinate.” Starting in Schmidmühlen, the trail reaches the municipality of Hohenburg after about 11 kilometres. It is considered one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the Amberg-Sulzbach region. The stated distance refers to the section from Schmidmühlen to the municipal area, not to a total trail length specified here.

More to Explore in the Wider Amberg-Sulzbach Destination

The Amberg-Sulzbach region is in Bavaria, between Regensburg and Nuremberg. Its landscapes include imposing limestone cliffs, gentle Jura hills, extensive forests and charming river valleys. The Felsenweg offers a specifically described hike: it runs from Sackdilling through the rock labyrinth to the Bauernlöcher, is 2.7 kilometres long and takes about 45 minutes. The information given for the two trails therefore differs: the Felsenweg has a stated length and walking time, while for the juniper hiking trail, the approximate section from Schmidmühlen to the municipal area of Hohenburg is given.

If you would like to try a different activity, the wider Amberg-Sulzbach destination is home to the Bow Vision 3D course near Wolfertsfeld in Birgland. You can try traditional archery on an approximately 3-kilometre circular route through the farm forests typical of the Upper Palatinate Jura. The Vils can be travelled by canoe from Hahnbach; the route passes unmodified sections of river, castles and historic Amberg.

In Theuern, the nature observation platform stands at the edge of the wastewater treatment plant’s polishing ponds. The adjoining wetland, with the Vils, its oxbow lakes and ponds, is a year-round resting and nesting site for native birds as well as birds migrating from the north. For cultural experiences, visit the East Bavarian Mining and Industry Museum at Kultur-Schloss Theuern: it researches and documents mining and industry in East Bavaria, keeping their history alive. The Erzweg connects sites with a mining tradition spanning more than 1,000 years and passes through cultural and natural landscapes.

Regional customs and cuisine are also among the things to discover in Amberg-Sulzbach. Since 2023, Kirwan have been part of Bavaria’s intangible cultural heritage. They are celebrated each year in their respective towns and are open to visitors and locals alike. Many inns regularly serve the traditional Schlachtschüssel. This includes Wurschtsuppn, Kesselfleisch and blood sausages, liver sausages and bratwursts made to their own recipes; dates vary from one inn to another. Brewing traditions include authentic Upper Palatinate Zoigl from Erlheim and hops from the world’s smallest hop-growing region in Illschwang, used by the Sudhang private brewery in Amberg.

Please note an important seasonal restriction when visiting regional cave hiking trails: entering the caves is prohibited from 1 October to 31 March.

Discover more destinations: Auerbach In Der Oberpfalz, Kastl, Edelsfeld, Königstein, Kümmersbruck, Rieden, Vilseck, Ebermannsdorf.

View the wider travel overview: Amberg-Sulzbach.