Hiking to the Inns — culinary hikes in the Upper Palatinate Forest

The Upper Palatinate Forest in Bavaria is well known for mixing hiking and pleasure. The region has a saying, "An Glust ham" - which means that you have a big appetite for something. In this part of Bavaria, you can certainly indulge a large appetite for both extraordinary landscapes and fantastic local cuisine served in traditional inns.

To help sate your appetite, we’ve put together seven culinary hikes in the Upper Palatinate Forest. Whether it's a Zoiglbier (a locally fermented beer) excursion on the Goldsteig trail, a gourmet tour through Weiden and Bad Neualbenreuth or beer-tasting experience along the Regen River, these Tours are suited to anyone with good basic fitness. A couple of the routes are a little longer and can be divided into two or three days. No matter the distance, you can always expect gastronomic bliss at the end – is there any better motivation?

There are plenty of tasty specialities in the Upper Palatinate Forest. The Zoigl is a fine example. This beer has a cult factor and is only available in this region as one of the quality criteria for genuine Zoigl is that it’s brewed in a communal brewery and served directly on site in the brewer's bar. There are also many traditional private and family breweries that leave no (beer) wish unfulfilled and no throat dry.

The cuisine and landscape of the Upper Palatinate Forest are a wonderful combination as foods from both the water and forest can also be found on the menu. Local fish such as carp, trout or char find their way onto your plate; regional, sustainable and above all, incredibly delicious. There is plenty of game in the vast forests as well as herbs, mushrooms and berries, allowing you to taste the forest in all its diversity.

And that's not all. Have you ever heard of the region’s nickname, ‘Erdäpfel-Pfalz’ (Potato Palatinate)? The cultivation of potatoes (or ‘Erdäpfeln’) has been a tradition here for centuries and the people of the Upper Palatinate remain masters of potato-based cooking, whether sweet or hearty. Spouzn, Liwanzen, Dotsch, Schopperl... new to your vocabulary? Never mind, just try them and you'll soon get to know these delicacies.

Now it's up to you: choose one of the tours or best of all, go on all of them. What hike could be more beautiful than one that leads to an inn full of tasty food? Look forward to an unforgettable holiday in the Upper Palatinate Forest!