Thyrnau: Hiking Trails, Panoramic Views and Churches
Accommodation in Thyrnau
Thyrnau can be explored from many different angles: hiking trails pass through the municipality, the view from Max-Höhe stretches far across several forest areas, and churches tell stories of different eras and religious traditions. You can shape your stay around your interests—with a stage of a hiking trail, a viewpoint or cultural stops. Kellberg is also one of the places that gives this mix its character.
Thyrnau-Löwmühle, Brücke der Granitbahn, 3
Photo: Renardo la vulpo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Panoramic Views from Max-Höhe
From Max-Höhe in Kellberg, the panoramic view extends across the Bavarian Forest, the Bohemian Forest, the Sauwald and the Neubürger Wald. In clear weather, you can also see the Dachstein and the Berchtesgaden Alps. One special detail: 36 church towers can be counted from there. If you are interested in landscapes and far-reaching views, this is a specific viewpoint to include in your travel plans. These distant views depend on clear weather; the number of church towers also gives the panorama an unusual regional connection.
Three Hiking Trails, Different Routes
The 450-kilometre Donausteig was opened in July 2010. It runs from Passau via Linz to Grein and also passes through the municipality of Thyrnau. This makes Thyrnau part of a hiking trail whose route extends far beyond the town. If you would like to plan your hike around a named long-distance trail, the Donausteig offers this broader route framework.
The 25-kilometre Way of St. James stage from Untergriesbach to Passau offers a different point of reference. It passes through Thyrnau and by St. Christophorus Church. The Goldsteig comes from the direction of Hauzenberg and runs from the Staffelbachtal via Kaindlmühle and the Erlautal through the municipality and onward to Passau. The three trails can be distinguished by their respective routes: the Way of St. James describes a specific stage, while the Donausteig and Goldsteig pass through Thyrnau as part of longer routes. So choose according to the section that suits your hiking plans, rather than assuming the trail names refer to similar circular routes.
A Monastery and Churches with Their Own Histories
A castle once stood on the site of today’s monastery and served as a hunting lodge. After it was sold to Cistercian nuns from Veceline in France, it was converted into a monastery in 1902. Today, the Cistercian nuns run an ecclesiastical textile embroidery workshop there that is known beyond the country’s borders. For visitors interested in culture, the monastery is therefore not only a place with a varied history of use, but also one with a distinctive craft tradition.
The churches also differ in their histories. St. Franz Xaver Parish Church in Thyrnau was originally a pilgrimage church; its architecture and furnishings date from the Rococo period. Before 1597, St. Christophorus Church was a pilgrimage site, and it lies along the Way of St. James stage mentioned above. In Kellberg, the present nave of St. Blasius Parish Church was completed around 1450. Tombs and memorials there commemorate Degenhard II von Watzmannsdorf (†1506), Margarete Tengler, née von Steinach, and Julis Benedikt Freiherr von Schätzl (†1598). They represent other historically significant people buried in the church.
Places to Help You Find Your Bearings
For initial local information, the Thyrnau-Kellberg Tourist Information Office is at St.-Blasius-Straße 10 in Kellberg, 94136 Thyrnau. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, the topics that matter most to you can help determine the right starting point—for example, the view from Max-Höhe, a stage on one of the trails, or an interest in the monastery and churches. The places and routes mentioned offer different starting points for your stay, without implying that any particular accommodation is located nearby.
Discover Kellberg too. Other places: Pocking, Passau, Aldersbach, Ruderting, Witzmannsberg, Neukirchen Vorm Wald, Eging Am See.
Go to the main travel overview: Passau.
