Frauenberg

Frauenberg stands in the Bavarian Forest near Grafenau, a 728-metre mountain with a clear conical shape that rises above its surroundings. The Kleine Ohe river cuts through the Pfahl rock formation at the foot of its northern slopes, where spruce trees cover the gentler terrain. On the steeper southern and western sides, beech, linden and sycamore maple form a dense deciduous canopy that drops down to the river valley. In 1978 a 19.5-hectare nature reserve was set aside between 460 and 560 metres to protect the mixed woodland and rocky outcrops. A single viewing point on the southern flank offers a clear prospect over the surrounding forest and the river below. A pilgrimage chapel called Brudersbrunn sits in the forest north of the summit, reached by a series of Stations of the Cross that climb from Grafenau. The present building dates from 1842, replacing an earlier chapel destroyed in 1803 after a fire. Inside, a baroque icon painted in 1704 once drew visitors, but it was stolen in 1969 along with some votive offerings and angel-shaped candelabra. The empty chapel remains a quiet place for reflection, surrounded by tall trees and the scent of damp earth. Paths wind through the reserve and up to the viewing point, where moss-covered rocks and the distant river can be seen. The contrast between the dark spruce stands on the northern side and the bright beech leaves on the southern slope is striking in autumn. Ravens often circle above the chapel clearing, and the scent of pine resin fills the air on warmer days. The route from Grafenau follows quiet forest tracks that rise steadily through mixed woodland before reaching the open chapel grounds. At the summit clearing the view stretches across the Bavarian Forest’s rolling ridges under wide skies.