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Grafenau
ℹ️Practical info — Grafenau
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🌤 Weather — 5 days
📍 Nearby
Sights nearby
💡 Tips
- Discover Grafenau as the 'Bear City' by spotting the various bear sculptures throughout the town.
- Visit the Snuff Museum (Schnupftabakmuseum), the world's only museum dedicated to this tradition.
- Use the 'Igelbus' forest buses for convenient and eco-friendly trips directly into the National Park.
- Hike a section of the 'Goldener Steig', the historic trade route once used for salt (the 'white gold').
- Relax at the BÄREAL spa park, featuring a scenic lake and refreshing Kneipp facilities.
🍽 Food
Try the 'Bärengold' or 'Bärenzwickel' brews from the local Bucher Bräu brewery.
A traditional forest dweller specialty: rye dough flatbread with sour cream, chives, and bacon.
Strong herbal spirits typical of the Bavarian Forest, famous for their intense flavors.
🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots
Every Friday morning at the Stadtplatz, featuring fresh regional cheese, honey, and farmhouse bread.
A local shopping voucher accepted by many shops in town, well-suited as a regional gift.
A wild and romantic gorge on the edge of town, first-rate for quiet walks by the rushing water.
A silent pilgrimage site in the forest with a chapel, convenient for a meditative break.
Water temperature…
Holding the title of the oldest town in the Bavarian Forest, founded in 1376 by Emperor Charles IV, this destination in the Freyung-Grafenau district looks back on a long history tied to the Gulden Strass salt trade route. Often affectionately called the Bear Town, the municipality now serves as an optimal basecamp for exploring the expansive Bavarian Forest National Park. The vast spa park acts as the towns green lung, featuring a large artificial lake, a mini-golf course, and Kneipp wading pools that draw families and relaxation seekers. A truly unusual cultural highlight is the local Snuff Tobacco Museum, uniquely dedicated to the history, production, and ornate containers of the traditional Bavarian snuff. The steeply inclined town square is overlooked by the historic town hall with its painted facade, surrounded by traditional Bavarian inns and small craft shops. Local distilleries produce Bärwurz, a potent, earthy herbal schnapps traditionally digested after a heavy regional meal of roast pork and potato dumplings. Hundreds of kilometers of well-marked hiking trails extend directly from the town into the dense forests, while the nearby Treetop Walk in Neuschönau features unparalleled, elevated views over the national parks canopy.
- Location: Bavaria, Germany
- Top sights: Peasant Furniture Museum · Kurpark Grafenau · Bärenbob Summer Toboggan Run
- Nearby: Freyung (12 km)
- Population: ~8.229
Best time to visit & climate
The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °C | -3 | -2 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 3 | -2 |
| Rain mm | 66 | 49 | 59 | 50 | 90 | 105 | 102 | 103 | 68 | 60 | 54 | 58 |
Geography
Facts
- Elevation ranges from 600 to 700 meters
- City rights granted in 1376
- Municipal area covers about 36 km²
- Home to Germany's first national park
- Key stop on the historic Golden Path trade route
- Features the world's first snuff tobacco museum
Explore nearby
Notable places around
Route planner — Car & Motorhome
Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService
Sights in the town Grafenau (11)
Schnupftabak- und Stadtmuseum🏛 museum
A unique museum in Grafenau showcasing the history of snuff tobacco production and the urban development of the region.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Grafenau from Passau?
What is the best attraction for children?
Is Grafenau located directly at the Bavarian Forest National Park?
When does the famous Säumerfest take place?
Is there an indoor pool in the town?
Grafenau: where is it located?
Grafenau: what is there to see?
Grafenau: when is the best time to visit?
Grafenau: why is it worth visiting?
Nearby cities
