With the nine-euro ticket, Bavaria can be explored away from overcrowded attractions such as Neuschwanstein or Blomberg. The SZ presents nine tours for hiking fans, culture enthusiasts and nature lovers. Part 5: The Mariahilf Loop in the Upper Palatinate.
The “Mariahilf-Schlaufe” hike starts in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz and leads over 13 kilometers through the varied landscape of the Lengenbach valley, 300 meters uphill and downhill. The starting and ending point is the Neumarkt train station, which can be reached in half an hour from Nuremberg. The journey from Munich Central Station takes around two and a quarter hours.
From the Neumarkt train station, you first walk 3.5 kilometers uphill to the Mariahilf pilgrimage church. The first highlight of the tour awaits there: a great view over the 40,000-inhabitant town of Neumarkt, the Franconian Alb and the Upper Palatinate Jura.
We continue through the cool forest of the Heiligenholz. After about 7.5 kilometers you reach the small town of Arzthofen in the valley of the Weißen Laber, a tributary of the Altmühl. From here the hiking trail is part of the main route of the Jurasteig. This leads through a pine forest with many blueberry bushes to the Lengenbach pilgrimage chapel and on through the Lengenbach valley with its diverse landscape and meadows and pine forests. Many different species of butterflies flutter around here.
Back in Neumarkt, a visit to the old town is worthwhile. It was badly damaged at the end of World War II, but was rebuilt afterwards. Sights include the Sankt Johannes Minster and the town hall. The Neumarkt residence, which was commissioned by Count Palatine Johann as a former Count Palatine palace, is worth a visit. The castle was finished in 1443, but burned down completely in 1520. The Count enlarged his court with a Renaissance palace, an armory and a court church. Today the district court is housed in the residence. Also characteristic of the cityscape are the partially preserved city wall, four city towers and two preserved city gates. The Museum Lothar Fischer, who spent a large part of his childhood and youth in Neumarkt and is one of the most important German sculptors after the Second World War, is worthwhile for those interested in art. The museum was built by the Neumarkt architect Johannes Berschneider, who died recently. The combination of building and art alone is worth the visit.