Top 20 Natural Monuments around Neukirchen-Balbini

Pilgrimage Chapel Streicherröhren To trace the history of this pilgrimage chapel, we come across an old hand-drawn map from around 1570, which is located in the Bavarian State Archives in Munich. On this map, a small wayside shrine is marked on the road between Untertraubenbach and Roding—a shrine that may have been the origin of the Streicherröhren pilgrimage site. According to tradition, the origin of the pilgrimage itself is attributed to a miracle that is said to have occurred in 1661. While this cannot be historically verified, we do know that in 1715 there was a wooden chapel in Streicherröhren, which was already visited by many pilgrims, and that votive tablets had been placed there decades earlier. The small pilgrimage evidently enjoyed considerable popularity, which also explains why it subsequently attracted opponents, particularly in Roding, who, due to their own pilgrimage to Heilbrünnl, viewed the development of Streicherröhren with envy. The parish priest of Roding complained in Regensburg about the "unauthorized gatherings" and "superstition" and was thus able to obtain permission, with the consent of the local landowner, to discontinue the pilgrimage. On his own initiative, he sent men to Streicherröhren, had the chapel dismantled, and the offerings, the miraculous image, and the votive tablets brought back to Roding. With the permission of Elector Max Emmanuel of Bavaria, the chapel was rebuilt, and a new miraculous image was presented in 1718. When the pilgrimage declined towards the end of the 18th century, a miraculous healing, confirmed by both ecclesiastical and secular authorities, helped to revive it. The chapel was renovated, and the miraculous image, previously painted on glass, was replaced with one on wood. During the 19th century, the chapel acquired its present form: Framed within a simple fieldstone structure, the miraculous image, a simple depiction of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child as Queen, was placed behind a simple iron grille. Donated votive tablets and images, as well as candles and inscriptions inside the chapel, show us that Streicherröhren is still visited by many people seeking help and solace. Source: Excerpts from www.bayerischer-wald.de

Great pilgrimage chapel near Roding.

The Wasserstein is definitely worth a visit

I really liked the very natural and idyllic little path around the Weichselbrunn pond.

Weichselbrunner Weiher and dry pine forest near Bodenwöhr The Weichselbrunner Weiher was probably created in the middle of the 13th century by expanding the Gleixner stream system. The area includes the Weichselbrunner Weiher, a section of the Gleixnerbach and the surrounding forests. These are mostly dry, lichen-rich sand pine forests that are very well adapted to the sandy and nutrient-poor soil. The very tread-sensitive lichens, mosses, dwarf shrubs such as the evergreen bearberry and various orchids find a suitable habitat here. The forest partly borders directly on silting up areas and reed beds of the pond. Due to the high structural diversity of the area, a large number of sometimes rare animal and plant species can be found there. Animal and plant species: The marsh terrapin, an endangered native orchid species in the Danube valley, is an inhabitant of the nature reserve. The evergreen bearberry also finds a suitable habitat in the sparse pine forests near Bodenwöhr. The high structural diversity also offers a suitable habitat for the grass snake Several hiking trails lead through the area and convey the special features of the pond and the adjacent forest. To protect the plants, which are sensitive to foot traffic, we recommend staying on the marked paths. Source: regierung.oberpfalz.bayern.de

Water Stone or Devil's Stone The Water Stone, a natural monument south of the Thälerkopf (503 m) and northeast of Stefling and Hengersbach, can be reached via hiking trail 21. The rock formation, covering an area of 0.2 hectares and exhibiting the typical rounded shapes of spheroidal weathering, was likely exposed and formed over millions of years of erosion. The highest point in the rock formation is the Water Stone/Devil's Stone, which rests on a large granite slab. The Water Stone has a circumference of 15 meters and a height of four meters. A striking feature of the stone, which can be climbed using a ladder, is a two-meter-long and one-meter-wide, basin-like water reservoir carved into its upper part, with an average depth of 50 centimeters. This water basin in the upper part of the Devil's Stone could have formed over the centuries through erosion or, as tradition suggests, be artificially created. The granite boulder displays further erosion features such as karst-like depressions (channels) and pool-like basins. It likely once belonged to the so-called sacrificial stones of a Celtic cult site. The stone water basin on the Devil's Stone, containing approximately one cubic meter of water, must not dry up even in the hottest summer; otherwise, according to one of the many legends, seven very dry summers would follow, and a widespread drought would engulf the land. The rest area allows hikers to experience the mystique of the place and the beauty of the mixed forest in a very special way. Source: Excerpts from "Fischbach and Stockenfels" ISBN 3-933522-00-5

The most beautiful, because the most natural way around the lake

Beautiful place with chapel and Mariengrotte. An information board on the unusual name and historical background would be interesting.