The Bavarian Forest - Bayerische Wald in German - is the area northeast of the Danube Valley up to the Czech border. This is very different country from Upper Bavaria, which is the popular image of Bavaria. Although it was always in West Germany, its position up against the Iron Curtain until 1989 means that it became isolated during the second part of the twentieth century. It is still one of the least well-off parts of Germany, but as a result of its isolation it has retained its culture in a way that, say, the Black Forest has not. The soil is rocky and poor, the forest is perhaps denser and darker than elsewhere. Certainly the forest is part of one of the last true wildernesses left in western Europe. The forest knows no political boundaries and spreads across the Czech border into much of western and southern Bohemia. For centuries the main economic activity has been glass making, and this continues today, both on a craft scale and industrially. The centre of the Bavarian Forest is a National Park, some of which is a closed nature reserve. The finest walking is generally considered to be in the north.
The Baier Way or Bohemian Way Once a trade route from the valley of the Danube over the hills of the Bavarian and Bohemian Forests, this is today a fascinating seven night walking tour which includes two nights in the Czech Republic. Starting at Straubing, the route takes you over the summits of both St. Engelmar and Hohe Bogen en route to the Czech town of Domažlice before finishing back in Germany at Furth im Wald. The countryside along the walk includes the lush plains of the Danube valley, forests, rolling hills criss-crossed with narrow streams and lakes while along the way are monasteries and ruined castles. Truly a unique walking tour.

Click here for detailed route and price information for the Baier Way or Bohemian Way Walking Tour