Bavarian Forest: Three MTB tours through the rocky and primeval forest scenery of Viechtach
Matthias Rotter
· 17.10.2023
With just under 10,000 inhabitants, Viechtach is more of a cosy village than a town. Located in the centre of the Bavarian Forest in the Lower Bavarian district of Regen, the town is a perfect base camp for bike tours.
Tour 1: Mühlgraben Trail
- Length: 72.7 kilometres
- Uphill: 1550 metres in altitude
- Pure travelling time: 5 hours
- Difficulty: difficult
Tour description
The Mühlgrabenweg is one of the classics in the Bavarian Forest. The flowing path meanders along a stream for several kilometres with a gentle gradient. The main problem: you have to get there from Viechtach first! A look at the tour data shows that the tour can hardly be completed without recharging. There is an opportunity to do so at the Berggasthof Menauer, about halfway round (closed on Tuesdays!). And in view of a hearty snack on the panoramic terrace, the interruption to your journey can hardly be seen as a punishment. Alternatively, the Schelmerhof estate at kilometre 40 is a good place to refuel. After the start at Schnitzmühle, a pretty trail swings along the Kleiner Pfahl before the route turns south towards Sankt Englmar.
The winter sports resort is 500 metres higher than Viechtach in the Vorderer Bayerwald. The first summit of the day is reached on the Knogel via a steep ski piste. The route follows the ridge to Oedwies, a picturesque plateau. But before we turn onto the Mühlgrabenweg, a detour to Hirschenstein is a must. From the small observation tower, the view extends far into the Bavarian lowlands. But now back to the Oedwies and let's get stuck into the trail fun! At around eight kilometres in length, the Mühlgrabenweg is a first-class ride, especially as there are no technical difficulties to interrupt the flow. The route then turns back towards Viechtach along fun forest paths before a final highlight brings the tour to a worthy close: The rock formation near Viechtach may only be a small part of the so-called Pfahl, but it is the most impressive section of this 150-kilometre-long natural spectacle. Now the whirlpool in the Schnitzmühle is just waiting for tired bones.
Tour 2: Rain tour
- Length: 53 kilometres
- Uphill: 1000 metres altitude
- Pure journey time: 3 hours
- Difficulty: medium
Tour description
Don't worry, the title of the tour is not a reference to the weather! Rather, the most beautiful section of the tour leads along the Black Rain, one of the largest rivers in the Bavarian Forest. With the right amount of energy, e-MTBs should be able to make it all the way on one battery charge. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can plug in your battery during a break at the Lindnerbräu in Bad Kötzting.
The menu with its regional specialities invites you to make a stop anyway. The cosy beer garden is located directly on the route at kilometre 29. Although there is less trail on this loop, it offers plenty of open terrain and panoramic views. The first is at kilometre 13 on the walls of the Neunussberg ruins, which tower around 300 metres above the Black Rain valley. The next section meanders through the typical landscape of the Bavarian Forest with tiny hamlets and plenty of secluded nature. The white reflecting telescopes of the Wettzell observatory seem like something from another world. Three large antennae on the hill listen out into the universe. No wonder the following trail down to Bad Kötzting is called the Planet Trail.
The course of the Black Rain now automatically leads the route back towards Viechtach. However, the relaxed trail sections along the banks of the river are abruptly ended by the barrage at kilometre 37. There, the bike has to be hoisted up a steep and narrow staircase to the top of the dam wall. The finale duplicates Tour 1, but nobody should be sad about that, because you can't ride the super trail along the Großer Pfahl often enough.
Tour 3: Arber view
- Length: 66 kilometres
- Uphill: 1900 metres in altitude
- Pure travelling time: 5 hours
- Difficulty: medium to difficult
Tour description
Every mountain range has its highest peak, in the Bavarian Forest this is the Hohe Arber at 1455 metres. However, the highest peak is not always a worthwhile destination for bikers - apart from the triumphant feeling of having reached the top. The Bayerwald locals prefer to ride to the Berghaus Schareben (kilometre 44), where they can be among themselves and enjoy a beautiful view of the usually overcrowded Arber. At Schareben, e-bikers should also plug their battery into the socket so that the motor power lasts all the way back to Viechtach. Because the crux of this tour is the opulent metres in altitude. A large part of it is already collected on the first half, where the route heads eastwards over numerous hills.
At Geiersthal, you cross the Black Rain, after which the route climbs steadily up to almost 900 metres at the Harlachberger Spitz. The first highlight is the Riederin rock above Bodenmais, which is the subject of bloody legends. A steel ladder leads to its summit, which the Celts allegedly used as a sacrificial site. Still with a view of the Großer Arber. You reach Drachselsried at the foot of the main ridge of the Bavarian Forest via winding paths and forest tracks. Energy management is now required, as the ten kilometre climb to the Schareben hut is on the agenda. If you don't have enough juice left for around 500 metres in altitude, you need to recharge here! For example, at the tourist information centre (e-bike hire). It is also possible to shorten the tour in Drachselsried, as the way back from Schareben leads through the village again. However, you will then miss out on a rewarding trail descent. The highlight of the finale is the crossing of Altnußberg, the largest castle complex in the Bavarian Forest. Here, the castle tavern invites you to take another panoramic break.
Info Viechtach / Bavarian Forest
The precinct
The small town of Viechtach is located in the Lower Bavarian district of Regen, in the centre of the Bavarian Forest. From here, you can start three large trail circuits up to the main ridge of the low mountain range. Here are our tips for travelling, accommodation and refreshment stops.
Travelling by train
Viechtach is one of the terminus stations of the regional Waldbahn railway. This is connected to the supra-regional DB network via Plattling. From there, the main lines continue to Regensburg, Passau and Landshut. Information and timetables: laenderbahn.com
Best time to travel
Three quarters of a year of winter and a quarter of a year of cold. This is a favourite motto of the locals. At high altitudes in the Arber region, the snow can last until April. Otherwise, the conditions are not so extreme. Compared to the Black Forest or the Vosges, there is even less rain on average.
Bikepark Bischofsmais
The oldest bike park in Germany now offers 16 trails on the Geißkopf. Including a flowing uphill trail for e-mountain bikers. The official season ends in 2023 on 5 November, after which it may be open at weekends depending on the weather. Current information: mtbzone-bikepark.com/geisskopf
Food and drink
- The cuisine at Adventure Camp Schnitzmühle is known far beyond the borders of Viechtach. The menu features Asian dishes alongside modern interpretations of regional cuisine, schnitzmuehle.de
- But a detour into the village is also worthwhile. To the old hospital, for example. The oldest building in the town is home to a club with a top-class music programme.
- Emma on Viechtach's town square is a mix of bar and restaurant. Tapas and beer from a local brewery.
Guided tours
Bayerwald-Bike offers a large touring and riding technique programme for bikers and e-MTBers. All information: bayerwald-bike.de
Trans-Bavarian Forest
Two technically easy routes, each with 7 daily stages, cover a total of 700 kilometres. The starter pack with GPS data, road books and all information is available from the tourist office. Info: trans-bayerwald.de
Tourism Association
Phone 0941/58539-0, bayerischer-wald.de
The report: Auffe, umme, owe - MTB trails through the Bavarian Forest
Is it okay to start a story about fun e-mountainbike tours with death? In this case, yes. Because anyone travelling in the Bavarian Forest will be reminded in many places how close life and death are to each other. For example at Grandsberg, an idyllic vantage point on the edge of the mountains. Next to the typical summit cross is a row of narrow wooden planks with gable tops reminiscent of wayside shrines. My local guide Matthias explains what the so-called death boards are all about: "In the past, the deceased were laid out on them at home and then carried to the cemetery. Today, this tradition is symbolically continued in the form of these memorial boards." A sad, but somehow also beautiful tradition, in my opinion. It teaches you to appreciate the moment even more.
Now of all times, Matthias and I find it particularly easy to enjoy ourselves, as you can see from our grins. Triggered by the previous ride on the Mühlgraben Trail. A dream of a trail that stretches over six kilometres down from Hirschenstein. The tour over the mountains around Sankt Englmar is a perfect composition, a kind of symphony with overture, allegro and grand finale. The Mühlgraben trail is the allegro: fast, cheerful and joyful. Translated to mountain biking, it is also flowing. With an altitude of almost 1100 metres, the Hirschenstein is a highlight in the truest sense of the word. Admittedly not as high as the Großer Arber, but its exposed location on the western edge of the Bavarian Forest allows a fabulous 360-degree view. Legend has it that a huge stag fell to its death from the rocky summit, where a small viewing tower now stands, when it was cornered by hunting dogs and had no way out. One of many legends that haunt the Bavarian Forest.
Matthias works as a mountain bike guide for Karen Widmann's company in his spare time. The woman from Viechtach and her team swear by the Bavarian Forest as a biking destination. Karen has already worked out countless routes between the Danube Valley and the Arber, including multi-day traverses of the entire Bavarian Forest. "I've actually only recently got on an e-bike," Matthias admits to me. "Namely since Karen started offering programmes for e-bikers." Well, from the way he's grinning the whole time, he seems to be enjoying it. "I'm in the process of rediscovering my home trails," the local continues. And as if this sentence were a starting signal, he lets the engine of his enduro bike roar like a swarm of wild bees and speeds up the meadow path at full throttle. There's no doubt about it, I also have the most fun defusing steep uphill trail sections with the help of a short boost injection. After that, however, you need to save energy again, as the tours that the locals have chosen are much longer than sprint tours. You should even think carefully about where you can recharge your battery during your lunch break. Otherwise, overdoing the boost too often could end in a nasty slog - something I was to experience for myself today.
The large pole: like the back of a reptile
We are approaching the grand finale of the tour, called the Great Pile. Who came up with this inappropriate name? After all, the Great Pile is one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the Bavarian Forest. A 150 kilometre long quartz reef cuts through the landscape as if drawn with a ruler. Where it rises to the surface, a bizarre ridge of rock juts out of the ground. Like the jagged back of a reptile resting underground. People used to refer to the pile as the devil's wall and witchcraft, probably because they could not explain the unusual formation. So rugged and unexpected, where the landscape is usually characterised by forest. Matthias guides us along a rough path along the mini Dolomites, where the bikes are once again allowed to show what they can do.
In the last light of day, we circle around narrow trees, lift the front wheels over roots and take in the mystical scenery. Only the now frantically flashing battery symbol on my handlebar display dampens the joy of the whimsical little paths a little. "A steep ramp is still waiting for us, short but crisp," Matthias announces. "You don't stand a chance there without a motor." Consequently, I tackle the thing with a certain amount of apprehension in eco mode, and with the last bit of energy the engine pushes me to the end of the climb. Then its will to live dies out. As nice as e-biking is, the feeling of pedalling into a wall with tired legs after a long tour is sobering. And the realisation of how long four kilometres can stretch on a 22-kilo fully. Can I see the beginnings of a gleeful grin on Matthias' face? Just don't let it show. "It's amazing how easy these modern e-bikes are to pedal, even without assistance," I whisper in his direction. Fortunately, it's mostly downhill to the finish. At the Schnitzmühle, the open-air whirlpool is already heated up. A relaxing dip is just the thing to round off the day.
Before we get on our saddles the next day, we pay a visit to Alfred Muhr. The MTB veteran runs a cool shop in the village street of Altnussberg. It's not exactly the centre of the world, and yet even celebrities have been guests here. Alfred talks about his encounter with freeride legend Wade Simmons with shining eyes: "Rocky Mountain had organised an event here. We were allowed to ride their first e-mountainbikes on my home trails." We eagerly await the answer to the question of what a widely travelled mountain bike icon had to say about the trails in the "Woid". "Wade could hardly believe that there are single trails of this quality here without the need for a construction crew," says Alfred. "He said that in Canada, trails had to be built especially for bikers." We take another appreciative look at the 30-year-old Fat Chance Yo Eddy on the wall in the shop, which cements Alfred's status as a MTB veteran. Then we set off again with our batteries full to the brim.
But today, one charge should be enough for the entire tour, as around 1000 metres of altitude can be covered with a five-hundred-cell battery. On the ascent to the Neunussberg ruins, Matthias gives me a lesson in "Waidlerisch", the dialect of the locals: "Aiz foh ma erst moi gmiatle auffe und wenn ma ohm sand, dann zoig i dir a Wehgal, wo da deife imma obe fetzt." Got that? In reality, it's even more complicated, as the pronunciation varies from village to neighbouring village. Today, "auffe" refers to the Neunussberg ruins, from whose battlements we soon enjoy an incredible panoramic view. Matthias points in the direction of the Hoher Arber, whose summit is crowned by two spherical radar stations called radomes. Which sounds a bit like unhealthy ulcers that you'd rather not have. Many forest tracks and a fairground-like tourist attraction make the Arber less appealing for e-bikers. If you still want to get to the top, there are several signposted routes. Recently, two Trans-Bayerwald routes have even been marked, which run for over 700 kilometres through the forest. And the bike park on the Geißkopf has long been an institution in Germany. The new Uphillflow course there confirms that e-bikers are also welcome in the Bavarian Forest. So, enough with the panorama, now I finally want to get to know the trail where Matthias says the devil always shreds down. I just hope it has nothing to do with the death boards.
