Neumarkt i. d. Oberpfalz - Breathe deeply in the realm of springs

There are 495 bicycle parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the station.

The way to the bicycle rental shop leads from the station via Bahnhofstraße northwards, where you can rent bikes for the tour at the bicycle shop E-Bike Technik-Zentrum.

At the E-Bike Technik-Zentrum, bicycles of the Riese und Müller brand are available. These bikes are exceptionally easy to ride and offer every comfort.

The rental should be booked by telephone one week before the start of the trip. If you have to cancel at short notice, there are no cancellation fees. Rentals and returns are only possible during opening hours and on presentation of an identity card.

The daily price for renting an e-bike is 40 euros.

The shop offers professional expertise, individual advice and very good craftsmanship, as well as speedy service.

You cycle briefly back to Theo-Betz-Platz and then turn right past the old town to the north.

The path leads through the monastery gate. Once it was just a narrow passage in the city wall that led into the Capuchin monastery and was expanded into a gate in 1858.

You pass the town park surrounding the Palatine Castle and continue out of the town.

In Pfeffertshofen, after almost 10 km and a long climb, you will find a rustic inn for your first fortifying rest.

According to an old document in the Amberg State Archives, the inn has been on this site "since time immemorial". Travellers and carters have stayed here ever since the road on which the inn stands existed.
Since 1902, the inn has been the proudly cherished property of the Sichert family. When the house was destroyed down to the foundation walls towards the end of the Second World War, family and friends rebuilt it to its former beauty within a year.

There is plenty of space in the cosily furnished Wirtsstub'n. In summer, the terrace and garden are also opened to guests.

For generations, the whole family has been involved in maintaining the inn.
Today it is landlord Michael who butchers and sausages himself. The dishes prepared with love by his wife Marion are homemade and freshly served.

Opening hours:
Open Thursday to Sunday from midday until evening.
Monday and Wednesday are closing days.
Tuesday the inn is closed from 14.00 to 17.00.

On the "Schwarze-Laber-Weg" (SLa), you now leave Pfeffertshofen and continue to Laaber.

There are some climbs to take here, but the view of the landscape is worth the effort.

In Laaber, fed by several underground karst springs, the source of the Black Laber rises. The name Laber is said to come from the Celtic language and means "to babble". This refers to the constant babbling sound of the stream.

The Black Laber is not really black, but in contrast to the White Laber, which bubbles and foams brightly thanks to a higher flow velocity, the Black Laber has always been a calm body of water and therefore appears darker than its faster counterpart.

In 2005, the Laber spring was renaturalised, newly enclosed and transformed into an ecological jewel. This was a joint project of the municipality of Pilsach, the Water Management Office, the Office for Rural Development and the Landschaftspflegeverband Neumarkt i.d. OPf. e.V. (Landscape Conservation Association Neumarkt i.d. OPf.).

Today there is a rest area here. The spring refreshes hikers and locals with its mere sight. The spring water has a temperature of 8 to 10 °C all year round.

The Schwarze Laber, which rises here, carves a graceful valley through the Upper Palatinate Jura and flows into the Danube at Sinzing.

After you have taken a few metres of altitude on the trail, it now continues a little more gently and as if on a high plateau. Smaller inclines are included.

About 2.5 km behind Pelchenhofen, you will find a "Q" on the trail for special places in the Quellenreich Regional Park. There you turn north to the castle ruins.

The centuries-old ruins of Wolfstein Castle can be seen from afar. It is a historical landmark of the town of Neumarkt. The hill fortress is located on the highest point of the Wolfsteinberg and was first mentioned in documents in 1120.

The Wolfstein dynasty resided here, whose last descendant died in the middle of the 18th century and is buried in the crypt of the Sulzbürger church. Apart from the Landshut War of Succession at the beginning of the 16th century, the castle was never attacked or destroyed. Only the ravages of time gnawed at it and eventually left considerable signs of decay. In 1997, the Wolfsteinfreunde e. V. began archaeological excavations and conservation measures. The moat, kennel, bower, chapel and box house were uncovered in a scientifically sound manner.

The castle is open from April to October. However, there may be restrictions due to excavation and renovation work.

On Sundays in the summer months, the Wolfsteinfreunde offer guided tours. Then you can also climb the 22-metre-high keep. From here you have a magnificent panoramic view over Neumarkt and the surrounding area.

From this small leap back in time to the era of knights and castles, you return along the same path to Pelchenhofener Straße until you reach Wolfsteinstraße, into which you turn left.

Here you turn right and have a quite steep and - CAUTION! - stony descent in places. However, the view of the town of Neumarkt from here is wonderful.

When you reach Wolfsteinstraße, turn left and cycle south.

Once in the town, the Wanke Inn awaits you.

Directly below the Wolfstein castle ruins, close to the Mariahilfberg with its monastery and pilgrimage church, lies the Wanke inn.

Guests have been served here since 1957. The kitchen always uses regional ingredients, homemade sauces and desserts. The meat comes from regional farms that pay attention to species-appropriate husbandry and gentle slaughtering.

But the homemade pies are also sought after by gourmets.

Vegetarian or vegan dishes are also prepared on request.

If you ride along Wolfsteinstraße towards the city centre, you will directly rejoin Badstraße. Follow this to the right to arrive back at the bike rental.

From here it is only 900 metres to Neumarkt station.