Pirk: Churches, Castle and Nature in the Municipality

If you are considering Pirk as a destination for your stay, you will encounter two different scales: the historic buildings in the main village and other destinations throughout the municipality. The Nature Park Discovery Route passes through Pirk; in the outlying villages, you will also find churches, scenic spots and a long-standing tradition. This lets you choose whether to focus on architecture in the village or take a broader look at the municipality.

Historic Buildings in the Main Village of Pirk

The Catholic Church of the Visitation of Mary stands at Rathausplatz 7–9. The hall church dates from around 1770 and has a hipped roof and a recessed choir with a five-sided apse. Above the choir is a choir-gable turret with a pyramidal roof, whose core is older than the rest of the building. Its architecture thus combines a clearly defined form with different periods of construction.

The New Castle is another historic landmark in Pirk. It was a rural manor; its core dates from the 17th or 18th century. The three-storey building with a hipped roof has been altered. Also at Rathausplatz, a 19th-century cemetery cross is part of the ensemble: a cast-iron crucifix with a side figure on a renewed base. The Church of the Resurrection, consecrated by Bishop Rudolf Graber in 1964, provides a later historical connection.

Churches and Traditions in the Outlying Villages

Those who explore other places in the municipality will find the Catholic Church of St. George in Enzenrieth. The hall church was built in 1849; its features include a gabled roof, a choir closed on three sides and a roof turret with a pointed spire. Every year on the third Sunday in September, a pilgrimage on foot sets out from Enzenrieth for Pleystein. The tradition has continued for more than 100 years and adds its own cultural note to the annual calendar.

In Engleshof, a village chapel dedicated to St. Wolfgang stands in the square at the centre of the village. An old stone bridge from the 17th century, considered a sight worth seeing, lies right beside the village. These destinations differ clearly from the churches in the main village: they are spread across other parts of the municipality and can therefore be considered a separate focus alongside the buildings in Pirk.

Landscape and Route Connections

Nature can be experienced in various places throughout the municipality. Near the hamlet of Au lies the Bonau nature reserve, home to many rare animals and plants. Matzlesberg sits on a hilltop high above the Luhe Valley and offers panoramic views, especially of Leuchtenberg Castle Ruins. A chain of ponds begins east of Pischeldorf and runs towards Hochdorf; the village stream has been uncovered within the village itself. Protected nature, viewpoints and village waterways thus offer distinct themes alongside one another.

For cyclists, the Nature Park Discovery Route offers a specific route connection: it runs via Luhe-Wildenau and Pirk on to Weiden i.d.OPf.

Getting Here and Finding Your Way

The municipality of Pirk lies directly on the A 93, about six kilometres south of Weiden i.d.OPf. The main village is 400 metres above sea level. Access to the municipality is via the Luhe exit, approaching through Pischeldorf, or the Weiden Süd exit, approaching through Schirmitz. The B 22, also known as the Ostmarkstraße, runs about three kilometres from the municipal area. This information helps you place Pirk within the road network; it does not replace specific route planning for your journey.

For the broader travel overview: Schirmitz.