From Eschenbach i.d. Oberpfalz to Schwandorf

Going on an unprepared trip through Bavaria

I've spent a night in Eschenbach i.d. Oberpfalz and, for reasons unknown, I have decided to take a bike of a friend and cycle all the way home the next day. There wasn't really anything that needed to be done today, so I've given in to the impulse and got on the bike. The route "From Eschenbach i.d. Oberpfalz to Schwandorf" was more or less a spontaneous trip without much preparation.

80 km is the biggest trip I've taken up until now. Using the pictures I have made on my way to Schwandorf, I can explain the route I have taken. Neither the quality nor the quantity of pictures was optimal. The sole purpose of these pictures was for me to remember the trip, as I easily forget details to a story.

For my next trip, which I have already planned, I will put more focus on pictures and I will write more about the route itself. The long-term plan is to map good routes, to make recommendations for cyclists (hostels, hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing spots) and to take notes of the routes I am taking.

This was the route I've taken. I am not sure if this was the exact route, but it is a good estimation.

This is a picture I've taken on my way from Eschenbach to Weiden.

This picture was taken while biking passed the 'Schießlweiher'. The German word 'weiher' means pond.

Schießlweiher in Schwarzenbach.

Somewhere between Schwarzenbach and Weiden...

I do not have a nice bike, as you can see from the rust on the handlebar. Then again, people who assume that one needs expensive and high quality gear to ride a bike over long distances are taking things too seriously.

A cycling road between Schwarzenbach and Weiden. Right through the forrest with some small changes in altitude.

Here you can see that the path leads next to the 'Bundesstraße'. A Bundesstraße is a road with a 100 km/h speedlimit. Cyclists are allowed to cycle there as well, even though it is quite dangerous.

DETOUR: if you are cycling over Weiden, you are making a detour as I did. To plan this tour without a detour, please take a look at the bottom of the page. I have made a quick tutorial for a different route.

This is somewhere between Weiden and Luhe. I am not sure where it is but I am guessing that it is in 'Rothenstadt'.

Landscape.  Boring.

If I am not mistaken, this is on the way from Luhe to Wernberg-Köblitz. 10 minutes after taking this picture, I've gotten a flat tire. Had to walk for half an hour until I've found a farm, where I have asked the farmer if he had something to inflate my tires. Fortunately he did.

On this picture, I have found the beautiful 'Naabtalradweg'. Naab is a small river, tal means 'valley' and Radweg means cycleway. I am guessing that this is Oberköblitz. Not sure though.

I can tell from this picture that I was on the right side of the Naab. That means that this would probably be 'Unterköblitz'.

Between Unterköblitz and Iffelsdorf.

This is pretty much proof of how awesome the Naabtalradweg is. The road is not always like this. Sometimes it is a dirt road, sometimes it is pavement like this and sometimes it is old asphalt.

What kind of shock would it be for a Syrian refugee to be looking upon this green paradise.Walking or cycling for hours passed so much vertile land.

The sign says "Iffelsdorf".

A field like any other. I guess that is corn, right?

I am almost in Nabburg.

A stork. No idea why this was so interesting at the time. The stork was picking a fight with a tractor (which was left of the stork and not visible on this picture).

Bad ass stork doing his thing.

Entering Nabburg. My tire has almost deflated once more and I was already close to riding on the rim. This made it clear that I would not reach Regensburg without fixing my tire.

Doesn't Nabburg look nice?

After inflating for the second time, I was biking towards Stulln.

The road. As you can tell, I have a knack when it comes to taking pictures.

I already see the Stulln sign. Woohoo.

Getting closer...

And I've reached Stulln.

This is a Gasthof in Stulln. The people here gave me directions and let me use their bicycle pump. It was really needed, as it was deflated for the third time.

Because of the friendly people here, I'll give them some publicity.

They offer rooms and a cold beer (or Radler, which is beer with lemonade). The people are nice and this stop is perfect for cyclists. I was really in a hurry because my bicycle tube was running out of air in short intervals. That being said, I have not taken any pictures of the following villages I have passed: Grafenricht, Schwarzenfeld, Irrenlohe and Richt. I have asked a farmer in Richt once more if he got a tool to inflate my bicycle tube. 

Even though it was only 4,6 km, I did not reach the destination without fully deflating my tube.

The sign says: "Fischgarten Schwandorf".

I think this is from Richt to Schwandorf.

Almost there...

I have finally reached the trainstation and I took the train to Regensburg.

I would have cycled all the way to Regensburg, if it wasn't for the bike giving up on me.

DETOUR INFORMATION (not cycling via Weiden)

For people cycling over Grafenwöhr (US army base), Freihung and Amberg, I'd recommend taking another route. I'll explain step by step how you can take this detour:

Step 1: open google maps to find a good estimation

To learn more about using google maps and planning an estimation of a cycling trip, visit this page.

You should take note of the cities you'll pass: Grafenwöhr, Hütten, Kaltenbrunn, Freihung, Größschönbrunn, Ammersricht, Amberg, Kümmersbruck, Lengenfeld, Theuern, Ensdorf, Rieden, Vilshofen, Schmidmühlen, and so forth.

Step 2: look for actual bicycle paths

Do not try to look for German tourist sites like this. You can click on the map on the right and it will open the map you see below. I think it only shows the circular bike tours. I am not interested in any of that. The only time I cycle and end up on the same spot is when I'm lost. It never happens deliberately.

I have noticed that it doesn't show neither the Naabtalradweg, nor Donauradweg. The Five Rivers route is the one we need though.

In stead of the tourist website, I use this website. You do not have to know German the use it the way I do. Just follow the instructions below the screenshots.

After opening the link to ADFC, you should hover over Regensburg (#67). If the corrects route lights up, you can click it and another window opens.

Route 67 consists of 3 paths along a river. You'd have to look at all three of them to see if the bicycle lane is nearby your estimation of the route.

A new page opens with details of the cycle lane. Now click on 'Sehenswert' (points of interest) to see which POI's this bicycle route passes . The cities are always mentioned there.

You can see some familiar cities on the list of the Fünf-Flüsse-Radweg ("Five Rivers Route"), like Regensburg (destination), Kallmünz (look on the last google map I've posted) and ofcourse Amberg.

You can take the bicycle lane from Amberg to Regensburg.

Other Related Keywords:

Wernberg, unterköblitz, Richt, ettmannsdorf, Krondorf, Schwandorf, bike lane, Schwarzenfeld, Irrenlohe, Schwarzenbach, Stulln, luhe, wildenau, rothenstadt, naabtalradweg, naabtalradfahrweg, naabtalfahrradweg, oberköblitz