The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Zwiesel

Level crossing of the Waldbahn, and a singletrack trail along the river path.

Erich Schott on the lower town square in Zwiesel is a popular meeting point in the town.

Zwiesel is a beer culture town and, with its steam beer tradition, an ideal place to start, arrive, or stop along the way: Freshly tapped steam beer awaits you in the brewery's taproom, the Bräustüberl (brewery taproom), and the traditional Bavarian snack bar – perfect for a pre-tour refreshment or a relaxing break midway through your adventure. Nestled between the charm of a glassmaking town, historic inns, and its proximity to the national park, Zwiesel uniquely combines nature, culture, and beer enjoyment. www.zwiesel.de

The so-called "Weikl Sawmill" can be found on the lower town square, at the entrance to the "pottery town." Around 1900, pottery (pots) was still being produced here. When Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, a market mill with a sawmill was already operating on the same site, on the Little Regen River. After fires, the buildings were rebuilt. The sawmill was primarily supplied with logs floated down the Little Regen. The sawmill has been owned by the Weikl family for over 150 years. Even today, logs up to 12 meters long are floated down a canal from the Little Regen into the sawmill. On Fridays, starting at 4 p.m., you can often still witness the almost forgotten practice of floating logs into the sawmill. https://www.zwiesel.de/kunst-und-kultur/denkmaeler.html

In 1975, Dr. h.c. Erich Schott, of the Jena glassworks, Schott & Associates, Mainz, donated this fountain to the people of Zwiesel. The large 'Erich Schott Fountain' is located in Zwiesel's town square. Granite steps, arranged in a circle around the fountain, compensate for the uneven terrain where necessary. They are paved with cobblestones. The majority of the round fountain is also made of gray granite. The low basin walls are lined with rectangular granite tiles, both on the inside and outside. Wooden plank seating is attached to the polished stone slabs that define the wide, overhanging edge of the basin. Within the basin, surrounded by shallow water, lie two natural boulders. They encircle the central element, which consists of a steel pedestal and a large stone sphere resting upon it. Square glass stones line the equator of the sphere, from whose tops water emerges in a focused jet. https://www.kunst-niederbayern.de/walter-mauder-und-siegfried-schriml-erich-schott-brunnen.html

The listed building of the former Weissbier brewery, with its stepped gables, is a beautiful gem in Zwiesel and a real eye-catcher.

The impressive town hall in Zwiesel has a turbulent history. A town hall in use since at least 1535 was burned down by the Swedes in 1633, along with the market square. It was rebuilt in 1635 but burned down again in 1707, resulting in the loss of many important records. The subsequent town hall was also destroyed in the market fire of 1832. In 1838, construction began on the current town hall on the site of the previous building. It wasn't until 1844 that the building, which until then had only a temporary roof, was properly re-roofed. In 1876, the town council decided to crown the town hall with a small tower. The work was awarded to master carpenter Georg Stolka for 1100 marks. He began erecting the turret on December 18, 1876. The tower's cupola was added on December 30, 1876, by journeyman carpenter Johann Kagerbauer. In the first days of the following year, the clock and bell were opened. The bell came from the old town hall, where it had been used for many decades to signal the start of council meetings. On January 16, 1877, the tower bell of the new town hall tower was rung for the first time. The town hall clock was also set in motion that day. The town hall has three stories with five window bays each. The windows of the lower floors are round-arched, as are the three portals, which are arranged side by side and are of the same size. A stepped landing lies in front of these portals. The upper floor has rectangular windows. The windows and portals have rusticated frames, and the corner pilasters are also rusticated. The stories are separated by cornices that run below the window sills. The ground floor features ashlar masonry. In front of the central window of the first upper floor, which extends into a doorway, is a balcony supported by a volute corbel and a balustrade. The flat roof, which slopes towards the tower, rests on a corbel frieze. The tower features wooden ornaments encased in sheet metal. The slate shingles of its roof are laid in a pattern, the spire is decorated with floral ornaments, and the weathervane at the very top consists of tin flower cups. The bell, cast in Straubing in 1707, weighs approximately twenty kilograms. https://www.niederbayern-wiki.de/wiki/Rathaus_(Zwiesel)

A beautiful spot at the summit