Bavarian Forest National Park: visitor guide

Bavarian Forest National Park, on the border between Bavaria and the Czech Republic, is Germany’s oldest national park and one of the best places in Central Europe to see a forest that has been left to nature for decades. The easiest way in is through one of the two visitor centres, Lusen near Neuschönau and Falkenstein near Ludwigsthal, both reachable by train and bus. From there marked trails lead to the summits of Lusen, Rachel and Großer Falkenstein and through areas where storms and bark beetles have shaped a new wild forest.

Why this park is different

The park was founded in 1970 and enlarged later. Its guiding principle, often summed up in German as ‘let nature be nature’, means that in the core areas no trees are felled, no deadwood is removed and natural disturbances are allowed to run their course. When storms and bark beetle outbreaks killed large areas of spruce from the 1980s onwards, the park decided not to intervene in the core zones. The decision was controversial locally for a long time. Today young forest of spruce, rowan, beech and other species grows densely beneath the grey trunks.

On the Czech side, Šumava National Park joins the Bavarian Forest. Together the two parks form one of the largest continuous forest landscapes in Central Europe. For context on other wild areas in Germany, see wilderness areas in Germany.

Park facts

Founded	1970, extended in 1997
Location	Eastern Bavaria, on the Czech border
Highest summits	Großer Rachel, Lusen, Großer Falkenstein
Visitor centres	Lusen (Neuschönau), Falkenstein (Ludwigsthal)
Neighbour	Šumava National Park (Czech Republic)
Official website	nationalpark-bayerischer-wald.bayern.de

Visitor centres and short walks

Lusen visitor centre near Neuschönau combines an exhibition, a large outdoor animal enclosure with native species such as lynx, wolf and brown bear, and a treetop walkway. A circular trail through the enclosure takes a few hours.

Falkenstein visitor centre near Ludwigsthal includes the ‘House of Wilderness’ exhibition and another animal enclosure. It is directly linked to the regional railway at Ludwigsthal.

Both centres offer guided walks, some in English. Check the programme on the park’s website.

Classic hikes

Lusen

The Lusen summit is covered in large granite boulders and offers wide views over the forest to the Czech side. Several routes lead up from the Lusen car park and from the visitor centre. The ‘Himmelsleiter’, a steep stone staircase, is the best-known route.

Großer Rachel and Rachelsee

The Großer Rachel is the highest summit in the park. Many hikers combine the summit with the Rachelsee, a glacial lake below a steep wall, and the Rachel chapel. The approach leads through old mountain forest and areas of dead spruce with dense young growth.

Großer Falkenstein

From Zwieslerwaldhaus or Ludwigsthal you can reach the Großer Falkenstein through some of the oldest forest stands in the park, past waterfalls in the Höllbachgspreng gorge. Parts of the area are only accessible on marked trails.

Distances and durations vary with the route chosen. Use the park’s official trail descriptions or a route planner with offline maps.

Getting there without a car

The national park region is well served by public transport, which is why it features prominently in our guide to reaching wild forests without a car:

• Waldbahn: regional trains from Plattling to Zwiesel and Bayerisch Eisenstein, with branches to Bodenmais and Grafenau.
• Igelbus: park buses that connect stations with the main trailheads, including Lusen, Rachel and Falkenstein; some lines run seasonally.
• GUTi: overnight guests in participating municipalities receive a guest card that works as a ticket on buses and trains in the network. As of October 2026, weekday validity begins in the morning and weekends are covered all day; check the current conditions with your host.

Rules in the park

• A path requirement applies in large parts of the park, in some areas all year, in others in winter and spring to protect wildlife such as capercaillie.
• No camping and no campfires. Stay overnight in the surrounding villages or on official sites outside the park. Our overview of trekking sites in Germany lists alternatives.
• Dogs on a lead.
• Do not pick plants or take deadwood.
• Be careful under dead trees, especially in wind: branches and trunks can fall.

Slow down, look closer

The Bavarian Forest is a good place to slow down rather than to rack up kilometres. Sit at the edge of a young forest under dead spruce, listen for woodpeckers and look at the fungi on fallen trunks. Our practical guide to forest bathing suggests simple ways to do that without any equipment. On clear nights the region is also dark enough for good stargazing; see dark sky parks in Europe.

Best time to visit

May and June bring fresh green and fewer crowds. Summer weekends and school holidays are busy at the visitor centres and on Lusen and Rachel. September and October are often clear and calm. In winter, snow can be deep, and some roads to trailheads close; snowshoe walks are offered by the park.