On 13 May 2006, two new cross-border cycling routes were ceremoniously opened – Cheb (CZ) – Waldsassen (DE) (along the so-called “Slapany railroad in the area of Slapany – Egerteich”) and Pomezí nad Ohří (CZ) – Rathsamerweg (Schirnding (DE)). As a part of these festivities, a cultural programme was prepared for the public. Internet portals focused on promoting cycling and bicycle touring mention this opening. Internet portals focused on promoting cycling and bicycle touring mention this opening.
Enjoy by bike or foot this new hiking and cycling path in the Czech-German borderlands – in our recreational area – map of bicycle touring . – cycling map
The route was named after the famous military leader, Albrecht von Wallenstein, murdered in Cheb in 1634. In 2006, the landscape exhibition without borders invited one to visit the exhibition sites in Cheb and Marktredwitz and became the engine for establishing this cross-border trail that connects both of the towns of Cheb and Marktredwitz, which includes the area of Stiftland with the cities of Waldsassen and Mitterteich on its southern route.
The Northern Trail of the Cycling Route
Leads along the rivers of Kősseine, Reslava, and Ohře; begins at Hausberg near Marktredwitzand then leads along the Kősseine River, the town of Kössain, and continues through Waldershof to Marktredwitz. It further continues through the towns of Brand, Seussen, Arzberg, and through the new border crossing at Schirnding-Pomezí nad Ohří on the Rathsamerweg trail in the direction of Cheb. The route from Marktredwitz to Cheb is 27.6 km long, from Kössain it is 37.4 km.
Alternatively, the cyclist can also ride through Hohenberg to the source of Carolinenquelle Spring and cross the border at Hammermühle. From here, one reaches Chebby riding through the Czech village of Libá, located north of Skalka Water Reservoir.
The South Trail of the Wallenstein Bicycle Touring Route
Leads along the rivers of Ohře-Odrava-Kősseine and begins in Cheb. Continues through Slapany/Schottendorf to the newly opened border crossing built along the former Cheb-Wiesau railroad all the way to Egerteich. his route with a beautiful view of the countryside leads to the abbey town of Waldsassen and further through the town of Mitterteich and the village of Pechbrunn, from where you will reach or return to Marktredwitz. The trail has an overall length of 42.7 km.
Information boards along the route invite you to visit interesting places and reveal interesting facts about the local attractions and monuments:
The town of Waldershof is in the southern part of the Fichtelberg Mountains between the mountains of Kösseine (939 m) and Steinwald (946 m), neighbouring to the south. Guests can enjoy an active holiday in many recreational facilities, including the natural lido of Kösseinebad, the tennis courts, and the countless number of cycling paths. The old castle (constructed around 1100), the Church of St Sebastian, and the restored ruins of Weissenstein Castle are remarkable. The relaxing holiday atmosphere of the area is ensured by the varied gastronomy in Waldershof and in the neighbouring villages.
Marktredwitz was first mentioned in writing as the parish town of “Radevize” in 1140, and it lies on the trade route of Nuremburg-Cheb. Emperor Louis IV transferred the township in 1339 to the monastery in Waldsassen and then sold to the Free Imperial City of Cheb. The coat of arms was created according to the Cheb model. Marktredwitz stayed in narrow political alliance with Chebfor an entire 475 years. odel. Marktredwitz stayed in narrow political alliance with Cheb for an entire 475 years. In 1816, the administration of Redwitz was exchanged for the town of Vils in Tyrol and was annexed to the Bavarian Kingdom. There are many historical buildings in the centre. The past is commemorated by the Egerland (Cheb Area) Cultural House that houses the museum and an art gallery.
In the town ofArzberg, you will walk in the footsteps of old mining traditions and the porcelain production tradition here in the workplace of universal scholar Alexander von Humboldt. The fortified castle church is remarkable, as is the information point on mining and geology known as “Kleiner Johannes – Small Johannes” and the ethnography museum of tools in the town of Bergnersreuth.
Arzberg is also known for the manufacture of mild smoked meats and gingerbreads, as is the world-renowned porcelain by exceptional designers with a factory shop.
The Schirnding township was first mentioned in writing in 1377. 1377. The history of the area was always determined by the border with Bohemia. Although many military battles were fought over this border, in the recent past, Schirnding became the gate to the East thanks to the border crossing.
In the centre ofHohenberg, there is a massive hexagonal, fully preserved castle with tower inhabited by storks and with a far view of the Cheb Region. The first written mention dates to 1222. 1222. An important town in the Sechsämterland area, constructed to protect the pass from Schirnding. Until 1799, it owned the privilege of a Free Imperial City, and since 1810 it was Bavarian, becoming a town in 1960. The Lutheran Church of St Elizabeth (Elisabethkirche) is noteworthy. In 1814, Carl Magnus Hutschenreuther founded the first porcelain works in northern Bavaria here, and today the Dibbern company, the Fine Bone China workshop, and the German Porcelain Museum have been based here. In the Ohře Valley, at the foot of the castle, there is the source of a ferrous acidulous mineral water, which has carried the name of the Bavarian queen since 1824 – Carolinenquelle.
On the Czech side, the visit of the Bismarck Lookout Tower will surely be an experience, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful view of the surroundings, as well as visiting the pilgrimage site of Maria Loreto in Starý Hrozňatov, Cheb Castle, or the Cheb Regional Museum, which offers the so-called Wallenstein Tour Circuit. You will be able to admire Wallenstein’s death chamber, the Wallenstein picture gallery, and the exhibit with Wallenstein’s horse.
In the Stiftland area on the Bavarian side, the basilica in Waldsassen will invite you to visit already from afar with its impressive towers and the adjacent Cistercian abbey. Guests can admire the unique Baroque art in both the church and library hall. The Museum of Stiftland offers an interesting view of the life of our predecessors with its more than fifty sectors. In the separate exhibition, you will see folk art from the Stiftland area and from the Cheb Region. In the monastery gardens in Brauhausstrasse Street, you will find the exhibits of the Landscape exhibition focused on the theme of monastic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. A countless number of monuments, wells, and natural attractions opens before you in Waldsassen and its surroundings. Those who still have some energy left can walk up to the renowned pilgrimage chapel on Glasberg Hill, approximately 3 km away, and from there enjoy the gorgeous view.
The idyllic location of Konnersreuth is marked by dense spruce forests and striking basalt mountains, and the first mention of it in writing dates to 1218. 1218. It became renowned worldwide thanks to Therese Neumann (1898-1962), the stigmatist. Her visions and the wounds of Christ (the stigmata) created great excitement. On the initiative of Therese Neumann, Fockenfeld Chateau and the Carmelite abbey Theresianum were founded. In the abbey, you can also view a film on Therese Neumann. Her birth home is open to the public in its original state, as well as her grave and the strenuously renewed Resl Gardens, an oasis of peace where you can draw strength and meditate. Her birth home is open to the public in its original state, as well as her grave and the strenuously renewed Resl Gardens, an oasis of peace where you can draw strength and meditate.
The parish church of Leonberg, with its famous acanthus altar, was founded at the behest of the abbey in Waldsassen, and it ranks among the most famous rural Baroque artistic buildings in the Stiftland area. The “European watershed” lies along the B15 federal road between the towns of Münchsgrün and Themenreuth. Half of the water flows to the North Sea, and the second half into the Black Sea. In 19th-century Königshütte, the “Royal Bavarian Ironworks” existed here. Today, we are still reminded of this by the sawmill and the salt barn in the premises of the company.
Mitterteich can look back on its 800-year-long history. The town not only has old historical quarters, but also modern buildings. A visitor can expect a range of interesting historical monuments, such as, for example, the municipal parish Church of St James (1890), the church tower (1606), the Lutheran Church of Christ (1897), and the historical town hall (1731), just as Sagenbrunnen Fountain – “The Smith from Mitterteich – Schmied von Mitterteich” (1990).
Mitterteich offers good sports opportunities year-round, as well as options for spending leisure time with the whole family: for a fun-filled active holiday, enjoy the summer bob-sleigh track, the bungee-trampoline, mini-golf, or Pit Pat, visit the indoor swimming pools or the heated natural lido with the 41-metre-long water toboggan, the ice rink, and the marked hiking trails.
And do you know what “Zoigl” is? This is a local speciality (bottom fermentation) that is brewed in the municipal brewery of Mitterteich. It is drawn in three “Zoigl Pubs” in Mitterteich – simply just ask directions to the nearest pub.
The town of Pechbrunn consists of two districts, Pechbrunn and Groschlattengrün. The town of Pechbrunn consists of two districts, Pechbrunn and Groschlattengrün. It is hemmed by the hill shrouded by legends known as Teichlberg, with a dense forest and rare flora. Inns invite you to stop and rest for the night, far from areas with heavy tourism.
The quarry in Pechbrunn is the ideal place for mineral seekers. Here, you must sign a declaration that you renounce liability. You can pick up the forms in the basalt mine with telephone number 09231/4126 or in the Tourist Information Centre in Mitterteich, telephone number 09633/89-123.
In the local Tourist Information Centre, you will find information about refreshment and accommodation options, about the monuments, bike rentals and repair shops. You will be informed about the current area by enough information boards along the route. The Wallenstein Bicycle Tour Route is described in detail in the brochure in Czech and in German and is available in all the Tourist Information Centres along the route.