Top MTB tours in the Bavarian Forest: Tours & trails with a wellness character
Gitta Beimfohr
· 21.02.2026
It stretches 100 kilometres from the Upper Palatinate to the Austrian border in the south. Its highest peak, the Großer Arber, peaks out of the vast sea of forest at 1456 metres and its eastern flank already speaks Czech: the Bavarian Forest offers a truly exciting backdrop for short trips over the weekend through to border tours lasting several days across to the neighbours. No wonder that the BIKE test crew and the BIKE tour authors are always drawn to the "Woid".
The undisputed No. 1 Bavarian Forest hotspot:
MTB zone Bikepark Geißkopf in Bischofsmais
Germany's largest and first ever bike park attracts visitors to Bischofsmais with well-maintained, very creatively designed trails: there were still 16 trails in autumn 2025, but it wouldn't be surprising if park operator Diddie Schneider gets the shovels going again by the time the season opens in spring. There are also some fun events planned for the summer.
- Day ticket: 44 euros (family discounts possible, Gravity Card Member)
- Info: mtbzone-bikepark.com
Not far from the Geißkopf Bike Park, a rival park opened last summer:
Arber Bike Park
So far there are still 6 lines (flow, jump and singletrail), which can be reached with the drag lift since last summer. The blue and red levels of difficulty are primarily intended to attract families, but also allow for airtime. But this is only "Phase 1". In the second construction phase, Trail-Tech will take care of additional, significantly longer lines, which will then be accessed by a second lift.
- Day ticket: 35 Euro
- Info: bikepark-arber.de
The best touring spots in the Bavarian Forest
It would be a shame to reduce Bavaria's largest low mountain range to its two bike park magnet spots. The network of tours is huge and if you like the natural flow typical of the forest, you can rely on the selection of tours in our trail guides. The best tour starting points are in the centre of the Bavarian Forest:
St. Englmar, Viechtach, Bischofsmais and Grafenau.
BIKE-Trailguide Viechtach
Großer-Pfahl-Trail, Mühlgraben-Trail, Regen-Auen and Bayerwald-Hauptkamm-Panorama: In our Trailguide Viechtach, the GPX tracks lead you to the most iconic trails. On the Mühlgraben Trail you can even meet racing legend Walter Röhrl, who is at home in St. Englmar and loves to ride this route.
The 6 best trail tours in the Bavarian Forest
If you ask a real "Woidlerin" and tour guide for her 6 absolute tour favourites in the entire Bavarian Forest, you will get this list - for which you should admittedly be fit:
- Tour 1: Pröller (28.8 km, 800 hm, 2:45 h)
- Tour 2: Hirschenstein (21.5 km, 650 m elevation gain, 2:15 h)
- Tour 3: Großer Arber (35.9 km, 1015 m elevation gain, 3:30 h)
- Tour 4: Einödhöfe (76.3 km, 2050 m elevation gain, 6:00 h)
- Tour 5: Bohemian Forest Tour (98.7 km, 1780 m elevation gain, 7:00 h)
- Tour 6: Big Hell Tour (61.2 km, 1007 m elevation gain, 4:30 h)
Multi-day tours in the Bavarian Forest
8 thousand in two days
Simply immerse yourself in the forest for two days: The eight-thousand-metre tour starting in Sankt Englmar covers a total of 50.8 kilometres and 1630 metres in altitude. It climbs over the peaks of Pröller (1048 m), Predigtstuhl (1024 m), Knogl (1056 m), Kälberbuckel (1053 m), Hirschenstein (1095 m), Klausenstein (1050 m), Rauher Kulm (1020 m) and Vogelsang (1022 m).
The climbs are not overly long, but the constant ups and downs take almost more energy. You should therefore definitely plan five to six hours of pure riding time. In terms of riding technique, the route remains in the S0 to S1 difficulty range on gravel and slightly rooty forest paths.
>> The GPS data: Eight thousand metre peaks in two days in the Bavarian Forest | BIKE
3 days on the Pandurensteig
Beautiful trails, striking rock formations and ancient, almost forgotten history: you can experience all of this on this historic tour from Cham to Passau. Slavic mercenaries chose the trail as a route for raiding in the 18th century during the War of the Austrian Succession. Today, the 173-kilometre trail serves as a long-distance hiking trail. However, we hardly met any hikers on our tour from Cham to Passau.
You could even combine the Pandurensteig with the classic Trans-Bavarian Forest Southern Route and extend it by 3 to 4 days from Passau via Eging am See, Bischofsmais and Sankt Englmar. Overnight stay: The Bavarian Forest is known for its many wellness hotels...
- Day 1: Cham - Viechtach (39 km | 717 m elevation gain | 3:30 h)
- Day 2: Viechtach - Spiegelau (57.6 km | 1340 m elevation gain | 5:30 h)
- Day 3: Spiegelau - Passau (66 km | 761 m elevation gain | 4:30 h)
>> The GPS data: Trans-Bayerwald: 3 stages on the Pandurensteig | BIKE
The official Trans-Bayerwald routes
The Bavarian Forest Tourism Association signposted two major crossing routes a few years ago. These have proved their worth to this day. Trails are sporadically interwoven (especially in the southern route), but you can usually make good distance on gravel paths or do the whole thing as a Transalp preparation. There is even the option of booking a luggage transport service. This makes it even more comfortable to stay in wellness hotels in the evening.
The southern route
From Furth im Wald, the route leads via Sankt Englmar and Bischofsmais to Passau. The route is orientated along the Danube ridge and takes in a few biking hotspots along the way, such as the Kollbachweg and the Geißkopf. However, there are also a few uphill ramps (Gibachtmassiv). Detours into the neighbouring Czech Republic and visits to castle ruins, abbeys and monasteries are possible.
- Length: 344 kilometres
- Uphill: 8300 metres altitude
The northern route
From Passau through the Bavarian Forest National Park and further along the border and Arber ridge to Furth im Wald. The highlights: Obernzell Castle, Saußbachklamm gorge, Dreisessel massif, Lusen National Park Centre, Frauenau dam, Großer Arber, Lohberg zoo and, on the last stage, the Neukirchen natural swimming pool.
- Length: 366 kilometres
- Uphill: 8300 metres altitude
Information on luggage transport, accommodation and highlights along both routes and GPS data:
trans-bayerwald.de
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
