Those who want to explore Hinterschmiding on foot can choose a route based on its length, elevation gain and starting point. In the municipality, the options range from the 2-kilometre circular trail in Herzogsreut to the 9-kilometre Mösel Trail.
Circular Trails in Hinterschmiding
The Am Biegel circular trail starts at the tourist information office and leads across the village square, past the listed town hall and around the Biegel. Along the way, it also passes the wildlife enclosure and the land consolidation memorial stone. At 3.3 kilometres long with 80 metres of elevation gain, it is shorter than the Mösel Trail. The route combines a walk with several notable landmarks in the town.
The Mösel Trail is 9 kilometres long; the walking time is about 2½ hours, with an elevation difference of around 230 metres. You can start either at Hinterschmiding church square or in the parking bay by Mösel Stadium. The two starting points and the stated walking time make it easy to distinguish this hike from the shorter Am Biegel circular trail when planning.
Nordic Walking and Other Trails in the Municipality
The municipality of Hinterschmiding offers five Nordic walking routes with a total length of about 33 kilometres. One of the routes described is the Biegel Trail: the 6.4-kilometre loop starts at the Biegel by the land consolidation stone, follows field and forest tracks along the route of the Golden Trail, and returns to the starting point. The Holzwiesen Trail starts at Mösel Stadium, crosses the Holzwiese and returns there. It is marked in red, is 7.5 kilometres long and has 80 metres of elevation gain. Check the local trail markings before setting off.
The 5.5-kilometre Kohlstatt Trail also starts at Mösel Stadium. The route passes the Kohlstatt Chapel and a viewpoint near Sonndorf before returning to the sports ground. The trails therefore differ not only in length, but also in the landmarks along each route.
In Herzogsreut, the Zum Bäckerkreuz circular trail starts in the centre of the village, near the old sports ground. The 2-kilometre route follows the main road to the exit towards Hinterschmiding, continues along Ringstraße to the Bäckerkreuz, then returns to the starting point via the mountain station at the ski lift. The route has 50 metres of elevation gain. The red-marked Nordic walking trail starting on Schwendreuter Straße passes the Schwendreut Chapel, the Bruder Konrad Chapel and the Bäckerkreuz before returning to Herzogsreut; it is about 6.9 kilometres long and has 100 metres of elevation gain. Here, too, check the local trail markings before setting off.
Another option in Herzogsreut is the black-marked Herzogsreut Loop. It starts near the old sports ground in the centre of the village and follows field and forest tracks back to the starting point. At 6.3 kilometres with 90 metres of elevation gain, it falls between the 2-kilometre Bäckerkreuz circular trail and the longer Schwendreut Trail.
Local Culture and Culture in Freyung-Grafenau
The Wimmer Canal near Hinterschmiding was built in 1806 and was once used for timber rafting. Today, it is an important technical monument from the early 19th century. A section of the Golden Trail runs through the municipality of Hinterschmiding. These historical connections add a cultural dimension to the range of walking routes.
Freyung-Grafenau is the wider travel destination. The Bavarian Forest National Park extends into Freyung-Grafenau district and opened on 7 October 1970 as Germany’s first national park. According to the 2024 zoning plan, 75.37 percent of its area is designated as natural zone. In the Buchberger Leite gorge, steep rock ridges force the boulder-strewn, cascading Wolfsteiner Ohe into a narrow bed. Remnants of primeval forest have survived in the gorge forests, rich in mosses and ferns. An eight-kilometre themed hiking trail with information boards and an accompanying brochure runs through the Buchberger Leite between Freyung and Ringelai; historic timber rafting walls, tunnels hewn into the rock and above-ground canals bear witness to centuries of human activity there.
The Schramlhaus in Freyung also offers a distinctive cultural attraction in Freyung-Grafenau. Built around 1700, the house is now the oldest farmhouse in Freyung and, in its original condition, one of the oldest in the district. It houses the Wolfstein Local History Museum, with more than a hundred original, well-preserved examples of sacred folk art in the form of reverse glass paintings.
Discover more destinations: Röhrnbach, Eppenschlag, Schöfweg, Ringelai, Sankt Oswald, Mauth, Fürsteneck, Perlesreut.
Back to the wider travel overview: Freyung-Grafenau.
