Freyung-Grafenau: Gorge Landscape and Cultural Heritage

Nature between the National Park and the gorge

Steep rock ridges force the Wolfsteiner Ohe into a deeply constricted bed in the Buchberger Leite wild-stream gorge. Rocks and cascades shape the stream; remnants of primeval forest have survived in the gorge’s moss- and fern-rich woodlands. The gorge thus combines a striking landscape with traces of human use.

Bavarian Forest National Park also extends into the district of Freyung-Grafenau. It opened on October 7, 1970, as Germany’s first national park. The 2024 zoning map assigns 75.37 percent of the national park’s area to natural zones.

An eight-kilometer themed hiking trail runs through the Buchberger Leite between Freyung and Ringelai. Information panels and an accompanying brochure complement the route. The gorge also contains historic log-driving walls, tunnels carved into the rock and above-ground channels, all bearing witness to centuries of human activity. Natural features and evidence of earlier uses thus coexist in the same landscape.

Near Neuschönau, the treetop walk is part of the Lusen National Park Center. The animal enclosure gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the national park and its native wildlife. Its circular trails are also suitable for young children who cannot yet cover long distances. Compared with the themed hiking trail through the gorge, the treetop walk and circular trails offer a different way to discover nature and wildlife.

Rural heritage and Celtic history

In Freyung stands the Schramlhaus, built around 1700. Today, it is the city’s oldest rural homestead and, in its original condition, one of the oldest in the district of Freyung-Grafenau. The Wolfstein Local History Museum is housed in the building. It holds more than a hundred original examples of reverse glass painting, a form of sacred folk art. The Schramlhaus thus brings together the history of a rural homestead and a distinctive form of religious folk art.

The Gabreta Archaeological Adventure Park offers a different historical focus. Its buildings are reconstructions of original Celtic structures and symbolize Celtic finds from the hill of Paul Freund. Expert-led tours about Celtic life can also be booked. Bread baking is one of the hands-on activities for visitors; the program may change.

Travel themes for your stay

Freyung-Grafenau lies in the tri-border region of Bavaria, Bohemia and Austria. Its attractions offer a range of different highlights: the Buchberger Leite focuses on the gorge landscape and hiking trail, while the National Park Center and animal enclosure focus on nature and wildlife. The Schramlhaus and Gabreta offer different ways to explore history and culture. When looking for a hotel in Freyung-Grafenau, it can therefore help to first decide which of these themes you want to shape your stay.

Discover more destinations

Saldenburg, Jandelsbrunn, Hohenau, Grainet, Röhrnbach, Ringelai, Schöfweg, Haidmühle, Waldkirchen, Thurmansbang, Spiegelau, Neuschönau, Neureichenau, Mauth, Grafenau, Freyung, Perlesreut, Zenting, Schönberg, Philippsreut, Eppenschlag, Innernzell, Sankt Oswald-Riedlhütte, Hinterschmiding, Fürsteneck, Sankt Oswald

To the parent travel overview: Bavaria.