Perlesreut lies between the valleys of the Ilz and Ohe rivers and is connected to the Ilztal Route. The Ilz is 68 kilometres long, lies in the Bavarian Forest and forms part of one of Bavaria’s last wild river landscapes. Hiking and scenery are therefore at the heart of what the area offers.
Townscape and location
The market town of Perlesreut lies in the district of Freyung-Grafenau in Lower Bavaria, at an elevation of around 546 metres above sea level. It is a state-recognised health resort. The Perlesreut market street is lined mainly with two-storey gabled houses. Together, these features give the town a focus beyond that of a hiking stop: the townscape is part of the stay, alongside the trails.
Hiking: circular trail and stages
The nature discovery trail in the Valley of the Mills is a circular route just under eleven kilometres long and takes about three hours. A variant of the sixth section of the Pandurensteig Trail ends in Perlesreut after 4.5 kilometres from Heinrichsreit. For planning a day out, there is a choice between a longer loop with an estimated duration and a stage variant with a clearly stated distance.
Other sections of the Pandurensteig Trail offer different highlights: one variant leads four kilometres from Perlesreut through rolling countryside to the Ilz at the DieĂźenstein nature reserve. In Perlesreut, the trail also follows a paved footpath and cycle path for about two kilometres to Kirchberg. As a long-distance route through the Bavarian Forest, the certified Goldsteig quality hiking trail runs for over 660 kilometres from Marktredwitz to Passau. Trail conditions may change; check them before setting out.
More things to experience
Ilztalperle offers accessible swimming and is considered Lower Bavaria’s first inclusive swimming pool. A multi-generational activity area includes play areas suited to different age groups. Check the current details of the facilities before visiting.
Accommodation and getting around
There is a motorhome pitch on FriedhofstraĂźe and a campsite at MesserschmidmĂĽhle. As facilities and operating conditions may change, check the latest information before travelling.
For bus information: RBO 6182 serves the northern entrance to the town on the Perlesreut–Ringelai–Freyung route; RBO 8663 serves the western outskirts on the Passau–Fürsteneck–Perlesreut–Grafenau route. Check the timetable and stop before travelling.
Freyung-Grafenau as the wider region
The Bavarian Forest National Park extends into the Freyung-Grafenau district, part of the wider destination of Freyung-Grafenau. It opened on 7 October 1970 as Germany’s first national park. The 2024 zoning map designates 75.37 percent of its area as natural zones.
The Buchberger Leite is also in the wider destination of Freyung-Grafenau. In the wild-stream gorge, steep rock ridges funnel the Wolfsteiner Ohe, rich in scree and cascades, into a deeply confined channel; remnants of primeval forest survive in the gorge woodlands, 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 rafting walls, tunnels cut into the rock and above-ground canals bear witness to centuries of human activity there.
Discover more destinations: HaidmĂĽhle, Thurmansbang, Spiegelau, Waldkirchen, Neureichenau, Hohenau, Freyung, Zenting.
See the overview of the wider destination: Freyung-Grafenau.
