Cover photo by Debbie Blau on October 2, 2012, while on a hike from Herzogau to Waldmuenchen. 

Waldmünchen

Tips for tourists

On this page are some tips for visitors to Waldmünchen, Kreis Cham, in the beautiful Oberpfalz region of Bavaria, Germany. Waldmuenchen is located on the east side of Germany, near the border of Czech Republic. 

Many people in Germany and Czech do not speak English fluently, so take along a small translation dictionary or use an app on your phone such as Google Translate. You may be surprised to hear English songs on the radio and see English words in advertising. Those who do know English will quickly recognize your English accent, even if you ask a question in German, and will speak to you in English. Always speak slowly and clearly in English, with no complicated sentences or slang, and hopefully the German people will understand you. 

There's a lot to see and explore in Waldmuenchen. You can park in any of the city parking lots, or leave the car at the hotel and walk. There are many interesting streets and homes in the oldest part of town which is the downtown area and market square. The surrounding hills and villages are very scenic, so jump in the car and take a tour or ride the "Oberpfalzbahn" train. 

Exploring Waldmuenchen

Where to stay overnight

There are hotels, pensions, and vacation apartments in Waldmuenchen and area villages. The "Ferienwohnungen" and "Ferienhäuser" (vacation apartments and vacation houses) are for people who want to stay a longer time - a week or more. Hotels are good for groups, but can cost more than Pensions. Pensions (lodgings other than large hotels) can be less expensive. Bauernhöfe are farms where you can get a taste of farm life. 

The Tourismusgemeinschaft (tourism community) of Waldmünchen may be able to help with travel plans. 

Hotel info: www.waldmuenchner-urlaubsland.de (click "Urlaub Planen" then "Gastgeber")

Tourist office email address: tourist@waldmuenchen.de 

You can also book hotels through https://www.booking.com/

2015 hotel and pension brochure: http://we2p-ggv.waldmuenchen.de/waldmuenchner_ul_2015/

When you stay at a hotel or pension in Waldmuenchen, you'll be charged a "Kur" tax because Waldmuenchen is a "Luftkurort" (climatic health resort). The tax as of 2015 was 1.30€ per night per adult. From the hotel or tourist office, you'll get a Gästekarte (guest card) which can be used for free bus and train rides in the Kreis (county) Cham area. 

Use the card to ride the train from Waldmuenchen to the city of Cham. Take the card along when you go shopping and dining as there could be a discount. The card also offers discounts on the purchase of hiking maps, mountain bike maps, and entrance fees for swimming at Bad Kötzting, Furth im Wald, and Osserbad in Lam. 

Ask at the hotel or pension if breakfast is included in the price. Vacation apartments and houses have kitchens and do not provide breakfast (you can cook your own meals). Room prices can be listed as either "per person" or "per room." Some places have internet access; others do not. Most rooms do not have telephones. Most rooms come with a bathroom including a shower and sink. Ask to be sure the room has a bathroom; if not, a shared bathroom and shower will be in the hall (to be used by you and other guests). Most places include a bath towel but not a washcloth. Soap and shampoo may or may not be included in smaller pensions. Toilet paper is always included. 

Many places have beds with "Federbetten" (feather beds) and pillows stuffed with feathers. If you are allergic to feathers, ask for antiallergic beds and pillows with no feathers (keine federbetten). Normally there is no top sheet and no blanket.  

Market Square

Rathaus (city hall) 

The Rathaus (city hall) had a bell tower that chimes at noon and 5 pm and houses the tourist office and public toilets (WC). A handicapped WC is on the back side of the Rathaus building, accessible by going around the north side then turn right into an alley. The present Rathaus was built in 1907. In front are two water fountains (one is dated 1776) and a Holy Nepomuk statue with two angels. 

Catholic church

St. Stephanus Catholic Church is just off the north side of the market square. At one end of church is a big circle on the ground with distances to other towns, and signs pointing the way to different places. The entrance of church is on the opposite end of that distance marking. Inside the church are old grave markers of duke families on the wall. In about the year 1300, St. Stephanus was built as a chapel, then remodeled into a larger church in 1708 and 1750; there were more additions (the altar area) in 1872. The church tower has 176 steps. In days long past, a man stood in the tower at night to watch for fires in the city; he was known as a Nachtwachter (night watchman). 

Distance marker

On the ground near St. Stephanus Catholic church is a distance marker showing distances to Plain, Wisconsin (7,641 km), New York, Regensburg, Vienna (Wien), Hamburg, Berlin, Rome, München (Munich), and other places. 

Cemetery

The Friedhof (cemetery) is in walking distance from the market square. From the market square, walk down the hill on Hammerstrasse, past the Edeka grocery store on your right, continue about 3 blocks (crossing Bachgasse and Friedhofstrasse streets), then turn left. Once you get inside the cemetery through the main gate, turn left past the large building (Leichenhalle - mortuary) and walk on the first long path. About half way from the Leichenhalle and the chapel, you can find the grave of the well-known and respected genealogist Georg Ederer in a row to the right. You will most likely not find your ancestors tombstones since grave plots are reused (the marker is removed) if the family doesn't pay to renew the family plot. Plots need to be renewed about every 20 years. In the upper section of the cemetery are newer graves. The Friedhofkapelle (cemetery chapel) was built in 1713 by miller families Eberl and Frank. Members of the Frank family are buried under the altar area. An old tombstone can be found on the inside wall of the chapel for Maria Josepha von Frank, birth name von Kaan, a widow for 9 years, she died on September 30, 1701, at age 63. 

Castle

Waldmuenchen has a castle that is now used as a youth hostel and school. The castle was built for the Grafen von Schwarzenburg. It was later used as a "Pflegeamt" (county and tax offices) from around 1500, then was used as a "Bezirksamt" (regional office) from about 1862 to about 1950, then a "Landratsamt" (county office). For the last 30 years (from about the 1980s), the building has been used as a "Jugendherberge" (youth hostel) and "Jugendbildungsstätte" (school). 

During the time the building was used as a Bezirksamt, people from Waldmuenchen and area towns went to that office to get their permission to emigrate papers. If you had ancestors that immigrated to America, they received permission from the Bezirksamt office. Over the entrance of the castle is the Bezirksamt crest. To the left of the entrance is the former Pulverturm / Wehrturm (gun powder / fortification tower) from the 11th Century. There was once a parish church named Maria Magdalena (existing in the 1600s) and a cemetery on the castle grounds, but both are long gone. Two epitaphs from the middle-ages, from the former Maria Magdalena cemetery, is on display in the hallway inside the entrance of the castle; the markers were discovered during reconstruction of the youth hostel.

Prior to 1972, the county seat was in Waldmuenchen. In 1972, the county seat was changed to Cham. 

Trenck der Pandur

Waldmuenchen is referred to as the Trenckstadt (Trenck city). Behind the castle is an outdoor theater where "Trenck der Pandur" plays are held in the summer months. For more info, visit the Trenck Fest website: http://www.trenckfestspiele.de/

To summarize the story of Trenck: In 1742 the Baron Franz von der Trenck and his group of wild and plundering Pandurs from Hungary and Slovenia invaded Waldmuenchen. They had just burned the nearby town of Cham to the ground. Trenck abducted a young woman who said she would marry Trenck if he would spare the town of Waldmuenchen from destruction. The two ended up falling in love. Trenck demanded and received money from Waldmuenchen and the town was saved. Trenck was later arrested in Austria and died in a jail in the fortress of Spielberg near Brünn in 1749. His remains were transferred in 1872 to a vault of the Capuchins at Brünn (Brno, Czech Republic). 

Historical Museum

Near the castle is the "Grenzland und Trenck Museum" (Border area and Trenck museum); address is Schlosshof 4. http://www.waldmuenchen.de/de/kultur-freizeit/museum/ Museum hours as of 2015: From March 15  through October 31, and Dec. 15 through Jan. 15, the museum is open from 2 pm to 5 pm on Tuesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. 2€ entrance fee per adult. A guide of the museum in English language is attached at the bottom of this page. There are several floors of exhibits including town history, the Flintstone Route, occupations such as Klöppeln (bobbin-lace making) and woodwork, the Glass Route (glass production of jugs, goblets, etc., by glass-blowers), emigration exhibit of people going to America, Cafe Feichtmayr, the Iron Curtain and borders (how the Czech border looked in the Communist time), history of mail and famous travelers, smuggling across borders from the 20th century and beyond, a prison cell, an entire floor dedicated to a Trenck exhibit (Trenck plays, Austrian War, Baron Franz von der Trenck, and terrifying figures of Pandurs), media room (films of various themes). In the basement is the "Crystal Cave" - an exhibit of crystal figures donated by the Schulz family of Waldmuenchen.  

Fires 

From the 1500s to the present were many fires in the city of Waldmuenchen. Some of the largest fires with the most destruction of homes were in 1633 when 72 houses were burned during the 30-Years War; in 1658 when the entire city including the church, Rathaus and castle (Pflegerschloss) burned. In 1799, 87 houses burned. In 1904, 32 houses burned. From all these fires, about 5 of the really old houses remain today. Those houses are on the walkway up to the castle (possibly Schlossgasse). House #2 is one of the oldest houses in town. A list of all the fires was compiled by Meinrad Gruber on page 309 in the "Brände" section of Chapter VI "Katastrophen und Sicherheit" in the book, Waldmünchen, Geschichte einer Stadt von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart (Waldmuenchen, History of a city from its beginnings to the present); copyright 2010, Verlag (printer) Ernst Vögel GmbH, 93491 Stamsried. 468 pages with color photos. This book is a "must have" and includes a CD of chapters that did not fit in the book. 

Candle factory

There is a small Kerzenfabrik (candle factory) a few blocks from downtown where you can buy a Trenck picture made of wax, religious candles, themed candles, and much more. The factory gives free tours on Tuesdays at 2 pm. http://www.xn--kerzenfabrik-waldmnchen-tpc.de/kostenlose_fuehrung.html

Good eats

A good place to eat lunch is the "Weber Max" restaurant ("Wirtshaus"): https://www.metzgerei-ruhland.de/de/home  Open Mon-Sat 10 am to 8 pm (except Tuesdays when it closes at 3 pm). Closed on Sundays and holidays. Next door is the Ruhland Metzgerei (meat market). The Weber Max serves delicious Bavarian foods. There are several other good restaurants to be found; however, some of the well-known places have closed - such as the Schmidbräu restaurant and hotel, and the Hotel Post Gasthof. 

In German restaurants, when you order water it will most likely be bottled water with bubbles, and you will be charged for it. If you don't like bubbly water, ask for "Still Wasser" (quiet water). If you order Orangensaft (orange juice), ask for "Pur" (pure) Orangensaft or it could come mixed with bubbly water. 

When you are ready to leave the restaurant and pay your bill, get the attention of the waiter and say "Zahlen bitte" (paying please). The waiter will go to your table to calculate the bill. Tip at the time that you pay the bill, directly to the waiter. Lunch (noon time meal) in Germany is normally a large "dinner" of warm food. The evening meal is called Brotzeit (bread time) and consists of cold foods (lunch meats, sausages, cheeses) and bread. Some more info about tipping and etiquette is here and here.

If you love horse sausage (Rosswürste), several traveling "Imbiss" (food stalls) owned by Pferdemetzger (horse meat markets) set up shop in the market squares of Waldmuenchen, Cham, Roding, and Furth im Wald as well as other locations. Days vary, shop early. 

I won't mention Bier (beer) here since that is a topic all its own.

Shopping

Stores are normally closed on Sundays and holidays in Germany, but if the town is having a festival, some stores may be open. Waldmuenchen has two newspaper offices (Bayerwald Echo and Chamer Zeitung), two book stores, meat markets, bakeries, clothes stores, knitting store, electronics store, hardware store, banks, a grocery store downtown, a large grocery store on the south end, and on the west end near the train station is a little strip shopping mall including a larger Edeka grocery store, a dollar store and Kik clothes store. There are more businesses which you will discover on your tour of Waldmuenchen. 

Check out some of my Waldmuenchen photos at Google Maps (click the Photos tab and scroll down through my photo collection).

Waldmünchen information at GenWiki

https://genwiki.genealogy.net/Waldm%C3%BCnchen 

Around Waldmuenchen, in Germany

In the area of Waldmuenchen are many interesting towns with churches, castles, and market squares; here are just a few of the interesting points of interest:

• Altenschneeberg (by Tiefenbach) - walk to the "Gipfelkreuz" (cross on a hill) where a castle once stood. At the top is a great view of the Perlsee lake. From Altenschneeberg walk 2 hours through the woods to Frauenstein castle ruins (follow the hiking signs).

• Ast (west of Waldmuenchen) has a famous pilgrimage church; the village of Ast has a special friendship with the people of Plain, in Sauk County, Wisconsin. About 160 years ago (late 1800s), about 1,300 people from Landkreis Waldmuenchen left Germany to emigrate to Plain. In 2015, the church at Ast celebrated their 750th anniversary and published a history book.

• Cham - has an interesting market square and churches

• Chammünster - has the oldest church in the area (over 1,000 years old) with a skull and bone cave (near Cham)

• Flossenburg - concentration camp and castle (further north, near Weiden in der Oberpfalz)

• Herzogau - take a hike through the woods from Waldmuenchen to Herzogau to see their interesting cemetery with iron crosses, and enjoy scenic views.

• Neukirchen beim Heiligen Blut - (south of Furth im Wald) has a monastery and pilgrimage church, Heimatstube Neuern (archive and museum of the old German village of Neuern, now Nyrsko in Czech Republic)

• Obermurach - has a castle ruins (near Oberviechtach)

• Reichenbach - has a monastery (west of Cham)

• Runding - has a castle ruins (near Cham)

• Treffelstein - has an old tower; ask for the key at the neighbor's house and climb up

• Untergrafenried - park here and walk across the border to Grafenried (Lucina) in Czech Republic

• Walderbach - has a monastery (west of Cham)

• More info about castles in Cham county is here

Larger towns of interest (plan to spend a day in each city): 

• Amberg - north of Waldmuenchen about 50 km. Has historic streets, river views, stores, Mariahilfe monastery, county archive (Staatsarchiv Amberg , Archivstr. 3)

• Nürnberg ("Nuremberg" in English) - north of Waldmuenchen about 150 km. Has historic downtown and large castle, many churches. 

• Regensburg - west of Waldmuenchen about 100 km (1-1/2 hours). Has ship rides on the Donau (Danube river); historic streets, large cathedral, stores, Catholic church book archive (Bischöfliches Zentralarchiv, St. Petersweg 11-13), eat brats near the river at the famous and historic Wurstkuchl.

Across the border

There are interesting things to see and do in the Czech Republic. The border is open, meaning you can drive from Germany into Czech without having to show a passport to the toll officers. However, take your passport along (should you get randomly stopped) and be sure your rental car is allowed to be driven into Czech. Turn on your headlights when driving in Czech no matter what time of day it is (it's the law). 

The restaurants on the border in Czech have good and inexpensive food such as Bohemian knoedels, apple strudel, and Palatschinken (crepe-like pancake, sprinkled with powdered sugar, filled with creams or chocolate or fruit, served with ice cream). Coffee can be served with the grounds in the bottom of the cup; to avoid drinking grounds you can order Cappuccino or Wienerkaffee (Vienna coffee - the top layer is creme). From Waldmuenchen, drive north to Höll over the border at Liskova (German name: Haselbach). Or drive to Furth im Wald and cross the border at Folmava (German name: Vollmau). Both borders have rows of Vietnamese shops (selling a wide variety of wares such as clothes, elf statues, glass balls, mailboxes, food and drinks), casinos, and "Travel free" shops. 

Drive about 20 km after the border to Domažlice (German name: Taus) to see a scenic Czech town. You'll need Czech coins to plug the parking meters, about 20 Kc (Krone) per hour. 25 Kc = about 1 Euro. In Czech stores and restaurants along the border, you can pay with Euros.

If you like mountains, the Cerchov is the tallest mountain in the area. Ask at the tourist office in Waldmuenchen for bus schedules to the mountain. A bus goes only once a week in the summer. You'll need to walk back down the mountain (about a 3-hour walk), unless you're on a bus tour that goes both ways.

Many grocery stores in Czech are open on Sundays! 

A guide to the Trenck Museum in English (6-page PDF), dated about 2003, was translated by Christa Senft and friend Derek from England. Let me know if you'd like a copy. 

Contact me about an errors or omissions on this page! :-)

Page updated 17 Jan 2025