Having come from a big city it is really hard to grasp the concept of a little town or village. It seems as if the world just stops, and you’ve arrived in some back-woods place where nothing could possibly go on. Right?
Wrong. Welcome to Zeitlarn, an Upper Palatinate town along the Regen River, where you’ll find villages with no more than eight or nine residents (the villages of Pentlhof, Zeitlberg, and Sandheim if you’re wondering).
But I hardly think that anyone would accuse Zeitlarn of being a back-woods anything once they’ve seen it.
I’m not even going to start off on all the castles you’ll find here. Nope, I’m going to start with all the great outdoor recreational fun you can have.
For starters, you can follow along the 171 km Regental Cycle Route, or just mosey along on a boat ride at Lake Blaibach. This is some seriously pretty real estate, so if all you’re doing is just putting one foot in front of the other (spoiler alert — it’s called walking) then you’re already ahead of the game. ;-)
Save some energy because it’s a bit of a hike to get to nearby Stockenfels Castle. In case you haven’t heard, Burgruine Stockenfels is haunted with a capital H. Too spooky for you? Ok, then maybe the ruins of Burg Fortsberg are more your speed. Plus, this 13th century castle is easily reached, if that’s any consideration.
Oh yeah, I don’t think the 17th century Regendof Castle is haunted. Still, think of the ghost stories you could tell around Zeitlarn’s local beer gardens.
Beer is good, but so is wine — which is probably why the town has an annual Wine Festival. They also hold an annual Dorffest (Village Festival) every July, too. This is all in addition to the Maypole celebrations and Fisherman Festival.
Didn’t I say you’d be wrong to think of Zeitlarn as some backwards place where the world ends? I like to think of it as a place where good cheer and fun times begin.
