Hirschenstein is one of the most recognisable peaks of the Bavarian Forest, crowned by a stone lookout tower that draws hikers from every direction. It's a summit that truly rewards the climb — offering a panorama unlike anything else in the region.

The mountain is cloaked in beech forest, and its rocky gneiss summit cliffs have been designated a valuable geotope. In summer the shaded woods offer welcome relief from the heat, in autumn the beech canopy turns golden and red, and in winter snowy trails lead up to the lone tower rising above the treeline. From the seven-metre tower you can see east to the Großer Arber and the Dreisessel, south to Deggendorf and Straubing, and west to the Gallner. On roughly twenty days a year, the Alps themselves are visible, stretching from the Dachstein to the Zugspitze.

How to reach the summit

• Schuhfleck — the biggest trail junction in the whole area, four marked paths lead from here to the summit, moderate walking time, easy to moderate difficulty
• Trails also converge at Schuhfleck from Kalteck, Bernried, Grandsberg, Rettenbach and Sankt Englmar — pick whichever starting point suits your direction of approach

Practical information

• A 7-metre stone lookout tower stands on the summit, built in 1921 and renovated in 1995
• Information plaques on the tower's railing identify the landmarks visible and their distances
• The summit and much of the slopes lie within the Deggendorfer Vorwald Natura 2000 protected area

Worth knowing: the gneiss summit cliffs of the Hirschenstein are an officially recognised geotope, bearing witness to millions of years of the Bavarian Forest's geological history.