Bavarian Forest National Park

Bavarian Forest National Park is Germany's oldest national park and one of the wildest woodlands in Central Europe. Stretching along the Czech border in eastern Bavaria, it protects mountain forests around the peaks of Rachel, Lusen and Falkenstein, where nature is left to take its own course. Visitors come for the treetop walk, a large wildlife enclosure with lynx and wolves, and hundreds of miles of hiking trails through a forest that is slowly turning into a new wilderness.

Germany's First National Park

The park was founded on October 7, 1970, the first in Germany, and has since grown to about 25,000 hectares (96 square miles). Together with the neighboring Šumava National Park in the Czech Republic, it forms the largest continuous protected forest area in Central Europe.

Its guiding principle is "let nature be nature." Trees felled by storms or killed by bark beetles stay where they fall, and a young, dense forest has grown up among the silver trunks. This hands-off approach was controversial for decades but now draws about 1.3 million visitors a year who want to see what a forest looks like when people step back.

Things to Do in the Bavarian Forest

• Lusen National Park Center (Neuschönau): Start at the Hans Eisenmann House visitor center, then walk the 7 km (4.3-mile) loop through the free wildlife enclosure, home to about 40 species including lynx, wolves, European bison, otters, brown bears and capercaillie.
• Treetop Walk: A 1,300-meter boardwalk through the canopy leads to an egg-shaped wooden tower up to 44 meters (144 feet) high, with views across the forested ridges.
• Hike to the Lusen summit (1,373 m): The peak is covered by a sea of granite boulders, with views far into the Czech Republic.
• Great Rachel (1,453 m) and Lake Rachel: The park's highest mountain rises above a dark glacial lake hidden in the forest.
• Falkenstein National Park Center: The House of Wilderness near Ludwigsthal sits right next to a railway stop.

Opening Hours and Tickets

The national park and the Lusen wildlife enclosure are free and open year-round. As of October 2026, the Hans Eisenmann House is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 1 to November 9 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from December 26 to April 30; it closes from November 11 to December 25. The privately run Treetop Walk costs €13 for adults, €11 for children 6–14 and €31 for families; hours change by season, so check its website. Parking at the Lusen center is paid. Dogs are allowed in the wildlife enclosure but not on the Treetop Walk.

How to Get to Bavarian Forest National Park

The Lusen center near Neuschönau is roughly 2.5 hours by car from Munich via the A92 and A3, and about an hour from Passau. By rail, take a train to Plattling, then the hourly Waldbahn regional line to Zwiesel, Bayerisch Eisenstein or Grafenau; the Deutschlandticket covers these regional services. In the park, Igelbus shuttle buses link trailheads around Lusen and Rachel with nearby villages. Note that Deutsche Bahn is rebuilding the line between Obertraubling and Passau for about six months from June 14, 2026, with replacement buses.

If you stay overnight in one of about 40 participating towns, your hotel gives you a free GUTi guest card for buses and trains, even on many lines across the Czech border.

Is It Worth Visiting?

Absolutely, if you enjoy nature and hiking. Families will love the wildlife enclosure and the Treetop Walk, both suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. Fall brings golden beech forests, while winter turns the summit spruces into frosted sculptures. Plan at least a full day, or several if you want to hike both Lusen and Rachel.