A walk in the forest

In what feels like another lifetime, Carol and I wandered the quieter corners of Germany. One region in particular gave us a memorable, breathtaking adventure – one I wrote about years ago on our old website. With that site closing soon, this is a story I’m keen to keep.

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Bayerischer Wald is almost as challenging to reach as it is to pronounce.

For those of us who speak only English, it translates simply enough: the Bavarian Forest. Yet no matter what language you use, getting there is an undertaking.

Still, we were determined.

From Munich, the journey demanded three trains to reach the small town of Grafenau, followed by a taxi to the enchanting village of Neuschönau. Tucked against the edge of the forest and not far from the Czech border, Neuschönau felt like the perfect gateway to the wild.

German trains, we quickly discovered, operate with a precision Australians can only dream of. Our first connection allowed a breathless two minutes to dash from one platform to the other. The second was slightly more forgiving – a luxurious four minutes.

We learned two ironclad rules about German railways:

1.  If the timetable says the train arrives at 10:26 am, it will arrive at 10:26 am – not a minute earlier or later.

2.  If it says the train departs at 10:28 am, it will pull away at 10:28 am sharp, whether you’re on board or not. Thankfully we were, making it with 1/100th of a second to spare.

And a third, hard-earned lesson: travel light. There’s nothing quite like sprinting across platforms with suitcases that weigh as much as a small motorbike, only to discover the connecting train has precious little space for luggage.

But every frantic dash and breathless moment was worth it the instant we arrived at our hotel – a magnificent old villa with views so spectacular they felt like they belonged on a postcard.

Our host, Manuel, bore an unfortunate resemblance to Norman Bates – not in appearance, it was his aura – but he proved friendly enough. He did, however, give me fresh incentive to pack lighter next time. As he hauled our monstrous suitcases up the stairs (an offer he immediately began to regret), I caught him muttering under his breath about their considerable weight and why he offered to take them off our hands.

But we had arrived in Neuschönau, and it was time to explore.

We didn’t get very far.

Just a gentle ten-minute stroll from our hotel, Liz’s Restaurant and Café caught our eye and refused to let go. Liz, a warm and welcoming English woman originally from the Channel Islands, had married a German and moved with him to Neuschönau “a lifetime ago,” as she put it.

For two Australians armed with only a handful of German words, Liz quickly became our lifeline in the village. It certainly didn’t hurt that her little restaurant served food to die for. Her square-cut chips alone are worth the trip to Germany.

As an aside, Liz mentioned that Carol and I were only the second pair of Australians to ever visit her café. A young couple from Melbourne had dropped in six months earlier. That little detail told us everything we needed to know – Neuschönau was well and truly off the beaten tourist track. Exactly the way we like it. (Definitely worthy of a koala stamp.)

Of course, we were really there for only one reason: to experience the Bayerischer Wald.

Bless Manuel, he kindly gave us two return bus passes for the forest. After a pleasant fifteen-minute walk to the bus stop, we were on our way. The ride was so short that when the driver gave us a nod and said “We’re here,” we were almost surprised. We hadn’t realised the forest was practically within walking distance of the village.

Stepping off the bus, we found ourselves at a fork in the adventure. To the left: a spectacular tree-top walk. To the right: dense, mysterious forest beckoning with hidden surprises. We turned left, drawn by the sight of a towering structure rising high above the canopy.

It took us a good hour to complete the entire tree-top walk and climb the tower – and every minute was pure magic.

With the tree-top walk done and dusted, we plunged into the forest proper, completely unaware that we were about to enjoy one of the most exhilarating days of our travels.

The Bayerischer Wald delivered everything we could have hoped for – breathtaking scenery and amazing wildlife at every turn.

We hadn’t gone far when we met our first local: a red squirrel that took one look at me and exploded into action, sprinting away at what I swear was 750 km an hour. I kid you not.

Our first encounter on the forest walk stopped us in our tracks: a European bison.

We had no idea such a creature even existed. The last thing we expected to see lumbering through the trees was this enormous, shaggy giant – a living relic from another age.

The forest walk stretched into a glorious six hours. We could have pushed on for another hour and likely encountered elk and wild boar, but our legs firmly voted “no”.

Still, we were lucky enough to spot a wolf, pine martens, and a pair of beavers busy building their winter lodge. Sadly, most of them were far too quick (or camera-shy) for us to capture on film. The wolf, in particular, was stubbornly determined to stay hidden behind a thicket where we’d first glimpsed him – a shadowy presence that refused to grant us a proper photo.

We finished the day back at Liz’s, sharing stories of our adventure over her legendary square chips. As we relived the day, Carol and I vowed that if the opportunity ever arose, we would return.

“If you do come back,” Liz said with a smile, “promise me you’ll catch the train to Passau, just north of here. It’s far too beautiful to miss. Then you can simply take a taxi to Neuschönau. Or you could have just caught a direct bus from Munich.”

What?! There was an easy way to get here all along?

Now you tell us!

Yeah… but nah. The hard way was much more fun.

Carol and I visited the Bayerischer Wald many years ago. To this day, we haven’t forgotten a single second of it.

(More photos here of the magical forest).

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