Wildenau offers points of interest for a range of travel interests: the Ostweg as a hiking route near the border, the Pearl Route, which combines cycling with border history, and three residential farmhouses with different architectural styles and construction periods. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Wildenau, these highlights can help you tailor your stay to your interests.
Hiking and cycling on different routes
The Ostweg passes through Wildenau as a hiking route near the border. It connects the tripoint of Bavaria, Bohemia and Saxony with the Eger and Rösla valleys, Hohenberg an der Eger, Schirnding and the monastery town of Waldsassen. This gives the Ostweg a distinctive hiking connection to the named border region and landscapes.
The Pearl Route is continuously rideable and signposted from Oberkotzau via Rehau, Schönwald and Selb-Plößberg to Asch. On the section from Plößberg to Wildenau, public field and forest roads were paved for year-round use. One of the route’s nine information boards is in Wildenau; the boards present the history of the shared German-Czech border region in two languages.
The distinction is clear when choosing between them: the Ostweg is for hiking, while the Pearl Route combines cycling with the topic of border history. Those who want to focus on a route on foot can consider the Ostweg. The Pearl Route also offers continuous rideability, signposting and a paved section of public field and forest roads.
Residential farmhouses and architectural history in Wildenau
The three residential farmhouses differ in construction period, number of storeys and state of preservation. Wildenau 1a is a former residential farmhouse: a single-storey building with a gabled roof, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, of which only the stable section remains.
Wildenau 13 is a single-storey residential farmhouse with a gabled roof and half-timbered gable, dating from the first half of the 19th century. Wildenau 19 dates from the first half of the 18th century and has two storeys; its gabled roof and the boarded half-timbering on the upper floor give it a different appearance from the house at number 13. Together, the three houses show different construction periods and half-timbered styles. For a stay that includes an interest in architectural history alongside hiking or cycling, they offer a distinctive local focus.
A cultural highlight in the wider destination of Selb
In the wider destination of Selb, another focus is porcelain and industrial history. The Porzellanikon Selb is housed in a former Rosenthal factory that closed in 1969. Three museums are located across around 9,000 square metres of the repurposed industrial site: the European Museum of Porcelain Industry, the Rosenthal Museum and the European Museum of Technical Ceramics.
Of the ten enormous round kilns that once stood here, six are fully preserved and open to visitors. Across more than 8,000 square metres, the Porzellanikon presents historic machinery, interactive exhibits, Rosenthal tableware, technical ceramics and a steam engine. The city tour in Selb focuses on the art, culture, old, new and distinctive features of this porcelain and design city; you can start it in person or virtually.
The International Grenzland Film Days also provide a date-specific highlight in the wider destination of Selb: they have been held at SPEKTRUM Selb every year since 1977, in the week after Easter. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for the relevant edition. This helps distinguish the focus of each place: Wildenau offers routes and architectural history, while Selb adds its own cultural themes with porcelain museums, a city tour and a film festival.
Discover more destinations: Selb-Plößberg.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Selb.
