The Bavarian Forest National Park is Germany's oldest national park and one of Central Europe's largest continuous woodland wilderness areas — a place where nature is truly left to its own devices. Straddling the Czech border alongside the Šumava National Park, it forms an extraordinary cross-border forest sanctuary that draws over a million visitors a year.

The park's landscape shifts beautifully with the seasons. In summer, cool mountain mixed forests of silver fir, beech and spruce shelter tranquil bogs, clear streams and glacier-carved lakes like the Rachelsee. Autumn turns the hillsides gold and copper, while winter brings deep snowfall — snowpack in the high zones regularly exceeds one metre. The highest summit is Großer Rachel (1,453 m), followed by Lusen (1,373 m) and Großer Falkenstein (1,315 m). The rocky summit of Lusen, draped in map lichen and framed by dwarf pine thickets, offers sweeping views across the Czech border. Ancient primeval forest remnants survive near Zwieslerwaldhaus, including trees estimated at 600 years old.

• Großer Rachel — from parking areas Gfäll or Racheldiensthütte (roads closed to private cars in summer, served by IGEL buses); moderate difficulty, allow several hours.
• Lusen — from parking areas Fredenbrücke, Waldhäuser/Ausblick or Waldhausreibe (IGEL bus connections); moderate, with a steep final approach called 'Himmelsleiter' (Jacob's Ladder).
• Großer Falkenstein — via the Höllbachgspreng gorge from Zwieslerwaldhaus; moderate to demanding.

• In the core zones (Kerngebiet) visitors must stay on marked trails between 15 November and 15 July — protecting sensitive species such as the capercaillie.
• Dogs must be kept on a lead throughout the park.
• Camping and open fires are only permitted at designated spots.
• Drones are prohibited.
• The visitor centres Hans-Eisenmann-Haus (Neuschönau) and Haus zur Wildnis (Ludwigsthal) offer free entry, wildlife enclosures and exhibitions.
• The IGEL bus network and Waldbahn trains make car-free access straightforward in summer.

Founded on 7 October 1970, the park pioneered the 'let nature be nature' philosophy in Germany — including the controversial decision not to control bark beetle outbreaks, which has produced a remarkable mosaic of fallen deadwood, wildflower clearings and dense young forest regenerating naturally.