The best cycling routes around Burglengenfeld

Upper Castle The Upper Castle was built as a moated castle by the Lords of Schmidmühlen. From the mid-12th century, they are documented here, starting with Ernst von Schmidmühlen (1166–1170). Georg Hausner von Winbuch (1595–1614), administrator in Regenstauf, was the builder of the present castle. The year 1600 is located on one of the magnificent door frames of the Knights' Hall. The Upper Castle is a three-story, plastered, solid building with a gable roof. An octagonal stair tower is attached, and another extension to the west. In this castle, there was also a small chapel on the ground floor, which, however, has long been filled in and walled up. At the top of the tower is a round ceiling, painted with flowers and rosettes, supported by a delicate wooden column. The entire second upper floor belongs, due to its furnishings, to the most interesting holdings of the German Renaissance. The profane wall paintings located there are reminiscent of those in the ducal castle Trausnitz in Landshut. During the Second World War and afterwards, the Upper Castle suffered greatly from billeting by the occupying forces. Thus, a valuable ceramic stove was destroyed on the second floor. In 1937, the castle came into the possession of the market town of Schmidmühlen. Since the post-war period, the castle has served the market town of Schmidmühlen as its town hall. Between 1977 and 1980, a thorough restoration took place, during which the castle and also the castle garden changed their appearance. The renovation was completed in 2003. The local history and association museum of Schmidmühlen is also housed in the castle. In front of the castle, on the well, stands the cast image of a Moriskentänzer, reminiscent of the Schmidmühlen sculptor Erasmus Grasser, who created the famous late Gothic Moriskentänzer for the festival hall in the Old Town Hall of Munich. Source: Wikipedia

Wonderful sections of the route in a magnificent area

It already looks impressive when you pass by.

The wooden sphere is certainly a highlight on the lake. Personally, however, it wouldn't be worth €13 entrance fee for me (as of May 2026)

nice to ride on the old railway line

Lake Steinberger Lake Steinberger is part of the Upper Palatinate Lake District and, with an area of 1.84 km², is the largest lake in the Upper Palatinate. It was named after the municipality of Steinberg am See. It is 1.98 km long, 1.4 km wide, and has a maximum depth of 50 meters. The Schreckerbach stream feeds and drains the lake. After the Bavarian lignite industry ceased mining operations in the mid-1980s, the open-cast mine "Steinberger See" was flooded by reducing the water level. Remaining mining equipment was demolished and still lies on the lakebed. Two small, wooded islands also remain, which now divide the lake into a northern and a southern section. In the following decades, tourism developed at Lake Steinberger, bringing a degree of economic growth to the region. In addition to the Steinberger Yacht Club (SYC), founded in 1987, the area now boasts a sailing school, a water ski lift, a boat rental, a leisure park for families and children, a surf club, and most recently, an adventure golf course and a roughly 40-meter-high wooden "adventure sphere" with viewing platforms, an obstacle course, and a giant slide. Numerous restaurants, inns, and cafés complement the leisure offerings. A water rescue station has been established for the safety of visitors. Due to the increasing improvement in water quality and visibility in recent years, Lake Steinberger has become one of the most popular diving areas in the Upper Palatinate. Like all lakes in the Upper Palatinate Lake District, which originated from lignite mines, the water is acidic due to leaching. Because of the ongoing improvement in water quality, fish populations are steadily increasing. Perch and the occasional pike have been observed most frequently. The water is very clean; on windless days, visibility is possible to a depth of at least 10 meters. Occasionally, the tops of dead trees can be seen on the bottom. According to the ordinance issued by the Schwandorf District Office on August 8, 2002, the entire Steinberger See is open for diving. Especially in summer and winter, very good visibility (up to 20 meters) has been possible in recent years. Source: Excerpts from www.wikipedia.de

Beautiful section between Marienthal ferry and the crossing!

I explored the city center of Burglengenfeld on foot, as there is really a lot to see.