Grafenau: Experience Salt Trade History and Nature
Accommodation in Grafenau
Grafenau combines a defining history as a packhorse town with its immediate proximity to Bavarian Forest National Park. It also offers museums, a historic town square and various ways to explore the surrounding area on foot, by bike or on cross-country ski trails. You can choose what to see based on the interests you want to shape your holiday.
Following the Salt Trade Routes
Grafenau owed its rise to the historic salt trade. As an important packhorse town, it lay directly on the Golden Trail, also known as Gulden Straß. Salt was transported along this important route—one of Europe’s oldest trade routes—from the Upper Innviertel to Bohemia. This history also comes to life on the town tour, which you can take independently, with a guide or interactively. Among other places, it leads to the historic town square, the Packhorse Fountain, the statue of St. John of Nepomuk, the Old Town Hall and the last remnants of the old town wall.
The Luitpold Fountain and colourful burgher houses also give the town square its historic character. The various stops give the tour a clear focus on the town’s history. If you like to take in the sights at your own pace, you can choose the self-guided option; a guided tour offers a different experience, and an interactive tour is also available.
Museums and Town Life
Grafenau’s museums each have a different focus. The Farmhouse Furniture Museum explores painted farmhouse furniture and traditional domestic life in the Bavarian Forest. The Town Museum presents local history, from old trade routes to the everyday lives of earlier generations. The Snuff Museum explores the tradition of taking snuff and features exhibits and information about its history. If you’re interested in regional everyday culture, you’ll find three distinct perspectives here: domestic life, local history and the story of a unique tradition.
The weekly Grünwochenmarkt farmers’ market is also part of local life: every Friday morning, you can sample and buy fresh regional produce at the town square. This lets you combine a visit to the historic square with a closer look at local products. Friday morning is the stated market day.
Forest Trails, Cycling and Winter Sports
Grafenau is right next to Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany’s oldest national park, founded in 1970. The Dreifaltigkeitsweg south of Grafenau offers a way to combine walking with quieter moments. It brings together walking, reading and reflection, and runs mainly along natural forest paths. This gives it a different character from a town tour with historic stops.
Cyclists also have a direct connection to the national park: Grafenau’s network of trails can be combined with the cycle route network in Bavarian Forest National Park and connects directly to the National Park Cycle Route. In winter, the range of winter sports includes groomed classic and skating cross-country ski trails, from easy to intermediate. There are also various route combinations and connections into the national park area. If cycling or cross-country skiing is part of your trip, these options offer a different focus from museums and local history.
Choose the Right Focus for Your Holiday
More town pages: Innernzell, Hohenau, Spiegelau, Haidmühle, Sankt Oswald-Riedlhütte, Philippsreut, Zenting and Freyung.
For the overarching travel overview: Freyung-Grafenau.
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