Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz offers many ways to explore: city history, religious art, modern sculpture, a protected city park and the ruins of Wolfstein Castle each offer a different focus. If you are first interested in the city’s past, the City Museum provides an overview of several historical periods.
City history, art and culture
The City Museum presents exhibits on the history of Neumarkt—from its medieval founding and heyday as a royal residence to its time as a garrison town for the Bavarian Chevaulegers, its days as a spa town, the beginnings of industrialisation and the Second World War. A particular focus is the Goldschmidt & Pirzer Velocipede Factory, later known as the Express Works. The collection thus brings together different eras of the city and a specific chapter in the history of a local company.
The Palatinate Count’s Palace on Residenzplatz also recalls the splendour of court life when Neumarkt was a royal residence. The Court Church of Our Lady houses the richly decorated marble tomb of Otto II of Mosbach. The church’s late Gothic treasures also include a statue of Saint Sebastian and a stone Madonna dating from 1480.
The Lothar Fischer Museum offers a different perspective: it displays selected works from a museum collection of around 450 sculptures and holds temporary exhibitions several times a year. Guided tours are held on Sundays at 3 p.m.; on the first Sunday of the month, a tour begins at 11:15 a.m. and is accompanied by a tour for children aged six and over. Check the tour dates before your visit. Neumarkt is also home to the world’s only museum dedicated to historic Maybach vehicles.
The Historic Riding Hall was established in the 1980s as a cultural centre with a concert hall and exhibition spaces. Concerts and performances by internationally renowned artists have become a hallmark of the city. In summer, the annual Neumarkt Castle Plays also bring open-air performances to the castle courtyard. As the programme may change, it is worth checking the dates for the current year.
City park, Wolfstein and discoveries of your own
The city park brings together different elements of the urban landscape: water terraces with fountains, a large staircase offering views of the old town, numerous public artworks and a large playground. The entire site is protected as an archaeological, architectural and garden monument. Open-air art and a protected park design come together here.
The ruins of Wolfstein Castle are a historic landmark visible from far away. The season matters when planning your visit: the ruins are open continuously from 1 April to 31 October and closed to visitors from 1 November to 31 March. Plan your visit within the open period and check the information before setting out.
The children’s city rally, “Join Philipp on a Journey through Neumarkt’s History,” leads through the city to 18 stops. For an independent tour of the sights, there is the Tomis audio guide, which lets you explore Neumarkt without a guide and at your own pace. Both activities give your city exploration its own framework: the rally follows set stops, while the audio guide gives you the freedom to choose your own schedule.
Routes and regional perspectives
Neumarkt district also offers a sense of the region’s landscape: it lies in the northeast of Altmühltal Nature Park and in the Bavarian Jura landscape. For hikers, the Jurasteig and the Water and Mill Trail share a stretch along the Weiße Laber between Lengenbach Valley near Deining and Dietfurt. If you look at these two routes, you will find a specific section they have in common rather than two entirely separate routes.
Leisure activities in the district include cycling along the Schwarze Laber and the old Ludwig-Donau-Main Canal, as well as hiking along the Weiße and Wissinger Laber rivers. The Ludwig-Donau-Main Canal is one of Germany’s most interesting industrial monuments and is particularly well preserved in the district. The Zeugenberg Loop is listed as a hiking route near Neumarkt and is a certified “Wanderbares Deutschland” quality trail. These details offer different perspectives on the region, where routes and rivers sit alongside a notable testament to industrial history.
Another local speciality is the brewing tradition: Neumarkter Lammsbräu is one of Germany’s oldest organic breweries. Dietfurt also hosts its Chinese Carnival every year on Unsinniger Donnerstag, drawing several thousand visitors. Alongside museums and historic sites, brewing culture and a recurring annual event are further options to consider when planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Breitenbrunn, Velburg, Parsberg, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Freystadt, Hohenfels, Postbauer-Heng, Berg bei Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Berching, Pyrbaum, Lauterhofen, Pilsach, MĂĽhlhausen, Lupburg, Dietfurt an der AltmĂĽhl, Deining.
Go to the main travel overview: Bavaria.
