Lusen

Lusen is one of the most distinctive peaks in the Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany's oldest national park, on the border with the Czech Republic. Instead of trees, its 1,373-meter (4,505-foot) summit is capped by a vast field of granite boulders that you scramble across to reach the cross. The short hike from Waldhäuser near Neuschönau suits most fit visitors and families, and rewards you with sweeping views over an endless sea of forest stretching into Bohemia.

Why Lusen Is Special

The boulder field was shaped mainly by frost shattering during the Ice Age, and Bavaria's environment agency lists it among the state's most beautiful geological sites. Local legend prefers a darker story: the devil supposedly piled up the rocks to hide a stash of gold.

The hike is also a lesson in wilderness. From 1995, bark beetles killed much of the old spruce forest around the mountain. Rather than clear the dead trees, the national park left nature to take its course, and a young mixed forest is now growing up between the silver trunks. The area became part of the national park, founded as Germany's first, on October 7, 1970.

Hiking Routes

• From Waldhausreibe (about 1,100 m): the classic route, about 1 hour 15 minutes up. Climb the "Summer Trail" with its steep stone staircase, the "Ladder to Heaven" (Himmelsleiter), and return via the gentler "Winter Trail" past the mountain hut.
• From Fredenbrücke: about 2 hours, quieter and longer.
• From Finsterau or Reschwasser: 2 to 3+ hours for keen hikers.

Stay on marked trails, as off-trail walking is banned in the park's core zone. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed unless they reliably walk at heel. The Lusenschutzhaus hut, about 30 meters below the summit, serves food and drinks and is open daily in summer, with limited winter hours.

Getting There

As of October 2026, entry to the national park is free; central parking lots charge up to €5 per day. During the summer bus season (May 14 to October 31, 2026), private cars may only drive up to Waldhausreibe before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m., and the road is closed to cars from November 1 to May 14. The easiest option is to park free at the Graupsäge park-and-ride and take the Lusen bus (line 602). By rail, take Deutsche Bahn to Plattling and the regional Waldbahn via Zwiesel to Grafenau, then bus 602 via Neuschönau. The Deutschlandticket and Bayern-Ticket are valid on the buses.

Is It Worth It?

Yes, if you want an easy taste of genuine wilderness in Germany. Allow 2.5 to 4 hours including a break at the hut, wear sturdy shoes (the boulders get slippery when wet), and combine the hike with the national park's Lusen visitor center, its animal enclosures and treetop walk. It also works as a day trip from Passau or Regensburg if you have a car.