On over 660 km of trail through five nature parks and two national parks in the easternmost part of Bavaria, the Goldsteig is an acclaimed Quality Hike and Top Trail of Germany. The trail begins in Marktredwitz in the Oberpfälzer Forest and ends in Passau. Nearly 200 km in, the Goldsteig Einstieg splits into the more challenging summit-dotted North Route and the gentler South Route. In between are dozens of marked alternative routes and extra trails numbering over 800 km of additional trail. What’s more, there is a parallel Goldsteig running through the Czech Republic, just over the border along with 13 connection trails between the two Goldsteigs.
a trail marker post on the Einstieg section of the Goldsteig
The name Goldsteig comes from history, regional products, the beautiful landscape, and the hiking enjoyment along the way. The route crosses the “Goldene Straße” or “Gold Street” which was a commerce road between Nurnberg and Prague to transport goods from the Danube to Bohemia. Here gold also comes in the form of cheese, which I think is a just comparison. Around 3,400 farmers in the Bavarian forest contribute to the cheese production.
is that gold over there?
Like I mentioned, the Goldsteig eventually splits into the North Route and the South Route. Until that point, the trail is called the Goldsteig Einstieg Route, which has 7 sections.
Table of Contents
Goldsteig Einstieg Section 1: Marktredwitz to Friedenfels – 18 km
The Goldsteig Einstieg doesn’t start without a walk through Marktredwitz. The Rathaus dates back to the 14th century, and there’s the St. Bartholomew and St. Theresia Churches as well as the beautiful Altstadt to wander around in.
Finding the Start of the Goldsteig Einstieg
At first I didn‘t see any signs for the trail but once I left the Auenpark, they were EVERYWHERE. Maybe there were signs in town, but they weren’t very obvious in Marktredwitz. The trail goes through the park, which was created for a garden show, and under a railroad bridge before leaving town. The route was occasionally on paved roads today, but mostly empty ones.
I walked next to a nice stream and saw a spot which was dammed up. Earlier, I noticed the animal of the year for 2021 in the Goldsteig magazine was the otter. As I passed by searching for a sign of life, I wondered if this was his home or a beaver’s.
The Views along the Way
The Goldsteig Einstieg was varied today through fields and forests. Several fields were golden yellow with rapeseed. I especially loved the really tall pine trees in the forest mixed with leafy trees. It was like a rainbow of greens. Despite the grey weather, the landscapes were still great. The entire morning, a patch of sun followed me, but my luck with this ended around midday. Then the air was thick with mist or a light drizzle. Neither was enough to be called rain but enough to make everything wet.
Marktredwitzer Haus
A few men were working on repairing the Marktredwitzer Haus, a mountain lodge for hikers and skiiers, when I arrived. A big board outside indicated the many cross country ski paths. I sat under the roof to dry off and ate some snacks. From this point onwards, it never stopped raining.
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Weissenstein castle ruins
It wasn’t long until I reached the castle ruins of Weissenstein (white stone), originally called Wissenstein (knowledge stone). The view from the top is supposed to be fantastic, but the fog was so thick that it was hardly possible to see nearby trees. I explored a little bit, but didn’t make an effort to walk up too many stairs. Leaving the castle, there was the Kibitzstein, which is a rock with a big hole in it. The end of the hike was hardest, although it was just 5 km downhill to Friedenfels. Overall, the hike was quite easy today, no difficult inclines, just the tiring downhill at the end.
The first mention of Weissenstein was in the 13th century. The castle was ruined, forgotten, and rebuilt a few times. It’s current state of ruin is thanks to five years of restauration, completed in 2000. In summer, the Burg is the setting for music and theater events.
Friedenfels
In Friedenfels, there’s a Schloss which is privately owned. I stayed at the Schlossschänke, which is also a brewery for Friedenfels beer. I did a little walk through town, even though it was still raining. There are a few other places to eat and sleep as well, but with the rain and end the winter wave of Corona, it was hard to tell what was open.
Goldsteig Einstieg Section 2: Friedenfels to Falkenberg – 16.2 km
This morning started out with a late breakfast. The woman who was so persistent on the phone about a Corona test result didn’t care to see it that morning. Something about the health authorities hadn’t sent her papers yet?
The weather was a bit warmer and a bit less windy and rainy today. But still rainy. Shortly after leaving Friedenfels, I came upon the Haferdeckfels, a fat stack of boulders overlooking a lake. Before reaching the village Muckental (which translates to mosquito valley!?), the trail skirted around some electric yellow rapeseed fields with more ponds in the distance.
Haferdeckfels 
view from Muckental
Tirschenreuther Teichpfanne
I could see the ponds as I neared the Tirschenreuther Teichpfanne – quite an interesting area! Sometimes the only thing separating the ponds is the narrow road which allows you to walk in between them. One area was closed off due to breeding swans. The birds are usually aggressive, but even more so when they have babies.
I felt that informative signs were a bit lacking along the trail and wished for more. The guide book named some of the ponds, but I didn’t find any signs with the names until I crossed the train tracks. I also would have liked to know more about the ponds – how were they made? One pond was filled with little white flowers and sounded like a bunch of new squeaky shoes. The frogs were croaking loudly away!
carp art 
squeaky shoe pond
The Tirschenreuther Teichpfanne is a landscape full of ponds, over 4700, used to raise carp from the 12th century through today. Originally owned by the Convent Waldsassen, the pond areal used to reach the edge of Tirschenreuth, such that the city appeared to rise out of the water. With an area of 2500 hectares, this “pot of lakes” is Germany’s largest and most important. The carp are celebrated for several weeks at the yearly autumn festival in Tirschenreuth county.
Ruf-Schranke
Reaching the railroad tracks, I had to call the tracks operator using the Ruf-Schranke (the call-gate). You push the lever, the man at the station tells you he will open the gates soon, and wait. Once you cross the tracks, push the lever on the other side to call again and let them know the tracks are free. Then he closes the gates again. I have never before seen such a system on my hikes, and was happy that the guide book warned me about it in advance!
On this side of the tracks, some of the ponds had names and there were interesting signs about what kinds of fish are in the ponds and about what they eat. You can even swim in some of the ponds, but yeah, it was freezing, so no swimming for me.
I neared and crossed the Autobahn, nearly making it through the village of Seidlersreuth unscathed. At the edge of town, a dog barreled towards me barking. It ran around me and blocked me from going forward. A lady came after the dog but didn’t have much luck catching or calming the beast. We chatted briefly while the dog snarled away. Eventually she snatched it by the collar and I could continue on.
Falkenberg
A little later I arrived in Falkenberg, excited about seeing the castle I had read about in the guide book. When I reached the creek with a picnic bench, a great view of the castle stood before me. It is impressive! At Gasthof zum Goldenen Stern, I called the number on the door and the owner came downstairs to let me in. I did a self-test since I couldn‘t get a Corona test on the way. Then he showed me the room.
view of Falkenberg Markt from the hotel window of zum Goldenen Stern
The granite on which the castle sits is over 320 million years old, formed from high pressure and heat. When the mass of rocks cooled down it shrunk, creating the “wool sack” form it has today. Over a long history, the castle belonged to the Falkenbergs, the Leuchtenbergs, the convent Waldsassen (owners of the ponds above), the Wittelsbachs, and the Swedes. Afterwards, Burg Falkenberg became a ruin. Later the Count from Schulenurg purchased and restored the castle. He was part of a group which organized a coup against Hitler. The plan failed and he was sentenced to death. Today, the castle can be visited on Sundays and is otherwise a hotel.
A Hike within a Hike
After showering, I went back out to try to get more pictures of the amazing castle. It was still cloudy and sometimes drizzling. I stumbled upon the Graf-Schulenberg-Rundweg, which is a 1 km hike around the castle leading to some other impressive granite rocks, including the Wackelstein, a stone you can rock (we found another one of these on our trip to Bornholm).
Zoigl – Beer Tradition in the Oberpfalz
Reaching the castle again at the end of the hike, I noticed some black smoke and a strange smell. The brewery was in full action. This is one of the places where they brew the famous Zoigl beer. It‘s brewed in 5 towns in the Oberpfalz, all done with the same recipe and tradition for over 5 hundred years. Some towns have been brewing longer than the German Reinheitsgebot. I hoped to try some in Neuhaus on the weekend, but finding this elusive beer, especially during the Corona period, was unsuccessful.
Zoigl got it’s name from the “Bierzeigl” or “beer sign,” a six-sided star, which hangs outside of the tavern when the beer is available. Slang and dialect turned Zeigl to Zoigl. Zoigl beer is only available in Falkenberg, Windischeschenbach, Neuhaus, Eslarn, and Mittelteich. Find out more about Zoigl and where and when to get it.
For dinner I had white Spargel with Hollandaise sauce and boiled potatoes. I thought I would get Apfelstrudel, but I was stuffed. The children of the owners played loudly in the next room and sometimes the same room in which I was the only dinner guest. After dinner the most amazing blue sky was out and I went out again to try to get more pictures of the Burg. It was worth it!! Fantastic photos!!
Goldsteig Einstieg Section 3: Falkenberg to Neuhaus – 14 km
Most beautiful day by far!! Section three of the Goldsteig was my favorite out of the nine sections I completed. I enjoyed it so much that I did it a second time with C when he visited for the weekend.
This morning I had breakfast at Goldene Stern. Opa served. It was hard to understand him because I don’t understand the Oberpfälzer dialect, but we made it. The little girl was there, constantly talking to Oma, although I never saw her. The little girl came into the dining area to look for a puzzle piece, but she didn’t find it.
The Netzbach and Waldnaab
From Falkenberg, the Goldsteig already followed the Netzbach and quickly meets up with the Waldnaab, two streams. Leaving town, there’s a great view of the castle, church, and town while crossing a bridge. The trail leaves Falkenberg traversing a field and then into the forest. Pine branches often cover the trail like a roof, while the stream flows directly next to you. Eventually there are huge boulders everywhere -granite “wool sacks” like the ones the Burg sits upon in Falkenberg.
Everything about this valley is idyllic. Wildflowers in pink, purple, white, and yellow line the sides of the path. The trees are so covered in moss, I wonder how they even survive it. It feels ancient and magical here. Some of the rock formations have names like Kammerwagen, Tischstein, and Teufelsbutterfass. All of them with a legend about how someone or something was turned to stone in this valley. Boulders even dot the stream, so you always hear the water rushing by. For a long time I didn’t see any people and felt like I had all of the wonder to myself.
Goldsteig Variation
At the Blockhütte, there is the chance to hike on either side of the Waldnaab. I chose to follow the marked Goldsteig trail, which is flatter. The other side is more bouldery and even has railings to help you pull yourself over them. After doing both routes, I would suggest staying on the marked route if you’re carrying a lot of luggage. Along the way is a spot where a castle used to sit, but there‘s nothing left to see of the ruins. It, too, sat upon a giant block of granite sacks, which still rise up high over the Waldnaab. At the Gletschermühle, a giant old mill wheel spins around in the water, attached to a giant tree trunk.
Slowly, the boulders begin to disappear although the Waldnaab still accompanies you all the way to Neustadt. Instead of following the marked Goldsteig route, I took the variation described in the guide book as I got close to the town. Once you’ve crossed the railroad tracks, simply continue following the left shore of the Waldnaab until you reach the road. Taking the Burgsteig up to the castle (Burg Neuhaus) will reunite you with the Goldsteig.
In Neuhaus I bumped into the very first Goldsteig hikers I had seen so far. Two pairs of partners were starting out together for their second weekend on the trail. We didn’t chat long, and I went on ahead towards Wurz.
Tip! Neuhaus and Windischeschenbach sit on opposite sides of the Waldnaab and have a plethora of restaurants and hotels. Goldsteig Einstieg section 3 ends in Neuhaus, but I continued 3 km further to Wurz so I could meet C the next day in Neustadt, where we spent the weekend hiking around together. Neustadt is an excellent spot for a rest day!
From Neuhaus, the Goldsteig stays on the left side of the Waldnaab heading through the forest. Passing under the Autobahn, the trail led through a meadow and then some farmland until I turned away from the path to head to Wurz. My guide book said Wurz was 500 m off the trail, but didn’t mention the incline. After 3 relatively flat days of hiking, hiking uphill to Wurz was a challenging surprise.
As if the day wasn’t long enough, I was determined to get an official Corona test in Windischeschenbach. I checked in, dropped off my backpack, and hiked 5 km back to Windischeschenbach. Had ice cream, just to pass the time, got my test, and returned 5 km to Wurz. I had intended to eat dinner in Windischeschenbach to reenergize myself before the trip back, but due to Corona, nothing was open!
The first three days on the Goldsteig Einstieg were eventful. Castles, Corona regulations, rain, and rock formations. Now it was time for a “relaxing” weekend with C in Neustadt before continuing on with the rest of the hike.
To plan my trip on the Goldsteig, I used the Goldsteig-Wandern website. On this page, you can order free information like an overview map, sections guide, and trail passport. I also used the Goldsteig guide from Rother Verlag.
If this Quality Hike interested you, check out the Westweg and Brandenburg’s Burgenweg to find out more about other long distance Quality Hikes in Germany.