In the beginning there didn’t appear to be too much going on in the town of Laaber, a charming town just one village over from the medieval wonders of Regensburg. But, as I got to know it better, I found all kinds of enjoyable things to see and do.
What I didn’t know on my first pass around, was the town lies within the Land der Burgen, Flüsse und Felsen. That would be the Land of Castles, Rivers, and Rocks for the non-German speaking crowd. Either way, you’ll find over forty castles within the Regensburg district, for which the region runs through.
It might also explain why Laaber lies along the Burgensteige — yet another scenic route.
Whichever way you’re choosing to follow, you’ll most definitely want to see the Burgruine Laaber. You might not be able to tell these days, but the castle once had its very own moat and drawbridge — just like a proper 12th century castle should.
Other castles in the area to see would be the Schloss Bergstetten, a lovely Baroque castle from the 17th century; too bad it’s privately owned. And if you want to go see where a 10th century castle once stood, then it’s over to the Burgruine Kallmünz for you.
These three castles aren’t even the tip of the iceberg (remember there are over 40), so if you’ve still got a yen to see more, then I suggest going over to see the Burgstall Egelsburg (built 1140); Burgstall Weihenstefen (built 1150); and Schloss Laufenthal (a 12th century original).
FYI, it might take you a while to find the Burgstall Durchelenburg (built just shy of a thousand years ago), as it sits along an unmarked trail. Nothing worth doing comes easy, does it? ;-)
As much as it pains me to say, visitors to Laaber can’t live by castles alone. Good thing there are a number of marked hiking trails through the Franconian Jura to explore. You’ll find a number of them lead off from Laaber Castle, if you’re interested. But, you could be just as happy strolling the banks (or canoeing) along the Schwarze Laber River.
Life probably couldn’t get any better than right here, but it actually does. How? Hello, this is Bavaria, plenty of festivals on top of everything else. Plan your visit to come for the Kirchweih on the second weekend of September, or the Bürgerfest in July if you really want to have a good time. And don’t worry about a place to stay, camping’s done all year round here.
It took a while to uncover the best of Laaber’s marvels, and it was most definitely worth the time and effort.
