Your holiday in
the Bavarian Forest

Experiences³. Your rhythm.

Nature, unstaged. Craftmanship with deep roots. Festivals with substance. Cities worth the detour. Holidays in the Bavarian Forest mean the freedom to decide what relaxation looks likes. The best of Bodenmais and beyond. New perspectives, whenever you’re ready.

Waterfall with wooden bridge and lush green forest

Snow-covered pine trees and a frozen river at sunset

Person standing with arms raised on rock in mountain landscape

Snow-covered forest and hills at sunrise with mist in the valley

Nature. Wilderness. Forest.

In the Bavarian Forest, nature is the real thing, not a show. National park, Mt Grosser Arber, and forest water. Untamed, vast, right on your doorstep.

The Bavarian Forest National Park

Founded in 1970. Germany’s first national forest park – and its largest. Across some 25,000 hectares, the guiding principle is “let nature be nature”: no unnecessary intervention, no staging. The result: genuine wilderness in the heart of Central Europe, home to rare animals such as the lynx, wolf, otter, and Ural owl. Over 350km of signposted walking trails criss-cross the area. 2 visitor centres with outdoor animal enclosures: in Neuschönau and Ludwigsthal. Free admission, open all year round.

Mt Grosser Arber – 1,456m

The highest peak in the Bavarian Forest. The only summit in the region to rise above the tree line. Up by cable car or on foot. At the top: vastness, crisp, clear air, and clear views as far as Czechia.

Forest water

The Frauenau drinking water reservoir, fed by the Kleiner Regen and Hirschbach rivers: one of Bavaria’s most important drinking water catchment areas. Where nature conservation and water management work hand in hand.

“Schachten” pasture walks

Historic, treeless Alpine meadows (900–1,150m above sea level) on the mountain slopes of the Arber region near the Czech border. Once used as pastureland, now left in their natural state and accessible all year round. Peaceful, uncrowded, open year-round.

Visitors in blue suits and helmets descending stairs inside a lit cave

Aerial view of playground and parking lot in green landscape with hills in background

Hand shaping molten glass on a glassblower's workbench

Handicrafts. Tradition. History.

Glass and silver have shaped this region. Once you know this, you see the landscape in a different light.

The Historic Bodenmais silver mine

✦ Free admission and free travel for Cubea guests

Mining has been documented in Bodenmais since 1463. For centuries, Mt Silberberg was the economic heart of the region. Today, the Barbara tunnel leads over 600 metres into the heart of the mountain. At the end: the “Grosses Barbaraverhau” – the “Great Barbara Excavation” – a cavern up to 25m high. Inside the mine: a constant 5°C, 98% humidity, 60 different minerals. Cave therapy (speleotherapy) is a medically recognised therapy in Germany: pollen-free air in complete silence. Plus: the summer toboggan run and the Silberberg Coaster at the 955m-high summit, offering panoramic views of Mt Arber. Guided tours run year round.

Glassblowing at Joska in Bodenmais

One of Bavaria’s leading glassmakers. All year round: live glassblowing, workshop, exhibition. No set programme, no time pressure – easy to visit on a whim..

The tradition of glassmaking

Glass art has been a defining feature of the Bavarian Forest since the 15th century. Bodenmais, Zwiesel, and Frauenau form part of the Bavarian Glass Route, one of Bavaria’s oldest cultural routes. Workshops, museums, and galleries along the route showcase a living craft.

Weisswurst seminar in Bodenmais

✦ Free for Cubea guests

Bavarian food culture at its most hands-on. Make your own Weisswurst sausages, cook them to perfection, and enjoy them straight away. Bookable year-round.

Cities. Culture. Experiences.

For a change of perspective: 4 cities within easy reach, each with its own character.

Cityscape with river, historic buildings, and church under clear sky

View of Regensburg old town with stone bridge and cathedral spires by the river

Colorful historic buildings and church tower with many people on busy square

View of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle with river and tree branches in foreground

Passau

Where the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers meet. The city of three rivers on the Austrian border: a compact old town, St Stephen’s Cathedral with one of the world’s largest cathedral organs, and the Veste Oberhaus fortress with views over the city. Give it a day, you won’t regret it.

Distance to Cubea: 78km

Regensburg

A 12th-century stone bridge, a Gothic cathedral, and one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval old towns. No clichés, no mass tourism. UNESCO World Heritage since 2006.

Distance to Cubea: 100km

Landshut

Trausnitz Castle, a Gothic town residence, and one of Germany’s widest historic high streets. Quieter than Regensburg, but with just as much substance. Next Landshuter Hochzeit medieval festival: summer 2027.

Distance to Cubea: 108km

Prag

The “Golden City”, one of the best-preserved Baroque cities in Europe. Charles Bridge, Hradčany castle district, Old Town Square. From Cubea straight across the border, no long transfers. A day trip with real substance.

Distance to Cubea: 203km

Festivals. Events. Local culture.

The Bavarian Forest’s festival calendar follows its own rhythm: down-to-earth, unpretentious, and not staged for the cameras.

Skadi Loppet | January | Bodenmais

One of the most important cross-country ski events in the Bavarian Forest. Bodenmais is regarded as one of Germany’s leading cross-country ski centres. The Bretterschachten Activity Centre, just 6km away, offers cross-country ski trails close to Cubea.

Bennofest | June | Bodenmais

Bodenmais’s own folk festival. Traditional dress, music, local cuisine: a genuine window into the region.

Wolfauslassen | November | Bodenmais

An old custom marking the end of the grazing season. Shepherds ring heavy cowbells to symbolically drive away the wolves as soon as the cattle return to the valley. Authentic and local, not for a tourist brochure. Recognised as part of Bavaria’s intangible cultural heritage since 2026.

Drumherum folk music festival | May | Regen

Folk music that doesn’t sound nostalgic. This festival in Regen brings together contemporary interpretations of a centuries-old genre – unpretentious and with substance.

Distance to Cubea: 14km

Pichelsteinerfest | July/August | Regen

One of the oldest folk festivals in the Bavarian Forest. The dish that gives the town its name: the Pichelsteiner Eintopf, a regional stew with centuries of history behind it. Recognised as part of Bavaria’s intangible cultural heritage since 2026.

Distance to Cubea: 14km

Glasnacht (glass night) | August | Zwiesel

Studios and galleries open after darkness falls. Glass art and craftsmanship in the evening light. Focused, not cluttered.

Distance to Cubea: 16km

Drachenstich | August | Furth im Wald

The Drachenstich – the “stabbing of the dragon” – has been celebrated in Furth im Wald since the 16th century. Germany’s oldest folk theatre, recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2018. Over 1,400 participants, 250 horses, and period costumes. The star of the show is “Tradinno”, an 11-tonne, 15-metre-long walking robot – the world’s largest four-legged walking robot (Guinness World Record). Several performances per festival week.

Distance to Cubea: 43km

Gäubodenvolksfest | August | Straubing

One of Bavaria’s biggest folk festivals, established in 1812. Around 1.3 million visitors a year, 7 festival marquees, 11 days.

Distance to Cubea: 62km

Landshuter Hochzeit | Summer 2027 | Landshut

Every 4 years, Landshut is transformed into a medieval festival setting. The festival commemorates the marriage of Duke George the Rich to Hedwig of Poland in 1475, a marriage with European significance. Today: over 2,500 participants in handmade, historically accurate costumes across several weeks. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2018. Next edition: 25 June to 18 July 2027.