The best traffic-free bike rides around Wald Himmelberg

not on Saturdays, as the lovely Wieswirt beer garden is unfortunately closed then.

Altrandsberg Castle The Randsberg/Ramsperger family is documented as ministeriales of the Counts of Bogen from 1165, beginning with Albrecht and Erasmus von Randsberg. The family's connections to the Bishopric of Passau are also documented. After the extinction of the Counts of Bogen in 1242, the family passed into the ministerial sphere of the Wittelsbach dynasty. In 1330, the Neurandsberg line was founded, which led to the gradual naturalization of the name Altrandsberg for the ancestral seat. The family held important offices in ducal service. In the mid-15th century, after disputes with the sovereign, there were several changes of ownership, which ended with the transfer to the Paulsdorf family no later than 1483. It was acquired by Heinrich Nothafft in 1515. Around 1620, Altrandsberg passed to Hans Christoph von Berlichingen, and in 1676, after several interim owners, to Hans Wolf von Leoprechting. Altrandsberg remained in the possession of this family until 1847, then passed into burgher hands and into municipal ownership in 1895. The construction history of the complex, which was significantly altered, especially in the 17th century, is only broadly understood. The oldest remains are the foundations of the square keep, uncovered in 1987, the curtain wall on three sides, and parts of a multi-part residential building on the east side. These likely date back to the second half of the 12th century. The older enclosure wall, which tightly enclosed the main castle on three sides, was probably also built in the 13th century. In the 15th century, in addition to alterations to the residential buildings, the chapel, first mentioned in 1483, was built. The conversion to a palace may have already begun under the Nothafft family. Under Hans Wolf von Leoprechting, the new west wing, which still dominates the complex today, and the arcades on the north wing were built. The 19th century led to numerous extensive changes to the interior. The buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries were largely demolished in the 20th century. Only remnants of the High Medieval structure remain. In the area of the trapezoidal main castle, these include the foundations of the square keep and its round successor, as well as large sections of the curtain wall and the palace, which was later rebuilt many times. The entire complex and the courtyard are largely dominated by the alterations and new buildings of the late 17th and 18th centuries, including arcades behind the former battlements in the north and the then newly built west wing with its restored Baroque façade. Source: Excerpts from www.ebidat.de

Pilgrimage Church of St. Walburga Built in 1628, this hall church replaced the castle chapel of the medieval, now ruined castle. Its two chapels, each with a semicircular apse and attached to the nave to the north and south, give it the appearance of a cruciform church. The church tower, topped with a pointed spire, stands in the corner of the southern chapel and the retracted, three-sided choir to the east. The church was partially destroyed and its furnishings looted twice: in 1556 during the Reformation and in 1627 during the Thirty Years' War. The citizens of Cham rebuilt the destroyed parts in 1832. The interiors of the nave and the chapels are covered with flat ceilings, and the interior of the choir has a lunette vault. The three neoclassical altars are in the form of aedicules. The three altars date from around 1840. The altarpiece on the high altar is a copy of the "Walburga drapery" on the Chammünster altar. Three high-quality oil paintings and a collection of nearly 200 votive tablets surrounding an altar-like structure in the right-hand side circular panel are worth seeing. An 18th-century painting of the Immaculate Conception hangs on the south wall of the nave. The south chapel is decorated with votive offerings. Source: Excerpts from www.wikipedia.de

Old church with beautiful view and rest area

Great bicycle highway, but not for thin racing bike tires.

Great for a little refreshment in between

Idyllic route on an old railway embankment, well-paved path mostly away from roads and traffic, partly shady. Relatively few places to stop for refreshments along the way, better plan breaks in advance or take something with you.

The Haxn is a dream.