The Bavarian Forest, Hotel Jagdhof Röhrnbach And The Danube. While most everyone has heard of the Danube River and tens of thousands of people take river cruises on it every year, the nearby Bavarian Forest is almost an unknown region to most of those same travelers. The beautiful and uncrowded outdoor hiking area of Bayerischer Wald as it is called in German is located in the southeast corner of Germany between the Danube River and the border with the Czech Republic and Austria.
Within a two to three hour drive from Munich, Prague and Vienna, my husband and I decided to visit this region and chose the Wellness Hotel Jagdhof in Röhrnbach as one of ten hotels we would be staying at during this year’s five week European holiday. We knew the hotel would make an ideal base from which to explore the Danube and the well known German towns of Regensburg (73 km), Passau (25 km) and other towns nearby.
The Jagdhof is the only five star spa hotel in the Bavarian Forest and what a nice hotel it is. Located in the center of the small town of Röhrnbach, the hotel is designed with a nice mix of trendy modern comfort and German traditional style. The large lobby is decorated in warm colors with white columns, marble floors and a huge chandelier.
While not the largest room at the hotel, our very large Wellness suite (60 sq. meters) had everything you could possibly want and then some. Decorated in a contemporary country style, the suite had an entrance foyer with a large walk in closet. The living room had a large flat screen TV, a Nespresso machine and a mini bar. The separate kingsize bedroom had a flat screen TV as well. The large bathroom had a soaking tub, walk in shower, and separate toilet. There were two an outdoor terraces, one from the living room as well as one from the bedroom. This was a room you could definitely call home. Add the wonderful restaurant and modern spa and you might never want to leave the Jagdhof.
In our case, that is exactly what we did for our two nights at the Jagdhof as the weather ended up being rainy during our entire stay. Instead of day trips to explore the nearby towns on the Danube, we ended up spending each day in the hotel’s outstanding spa, the largest in Bavaria. We had walked many a mile visiting the historic cities of Berlin and Prague before arriving at the Jagdhof and it actually felt very nice to just relax for two days.
The spa area is huge and includes both indoor and outdoor pools, six different saunas, a separate ladies spa and large relaxing areas both inside and out.
The hotel’s restaurant serves an outstanding buffet breakfast and a buffet lunch with sweet treats.In the evening there is a six course dinner menu with an appetizer buffet and a dessert and cheese buffet that is included in the room rate. There is a nice bar area where you can enjoy cocktails, wine and beer and there is evening entertainment.
We were sorry that we didn’t get to explore the Bavarian Forest because of the rain during our time in the region but you can’t do anything about the weather when you travel. The sun finally broke through the clouds after leaving Germany. Glorious sunshine appeared just as we neared the Wachau Valley on our drive to Vienna.
The entire region, with terraced vineyards and apricot orchards that slope down to the Danube River, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its beautiful scenery, picturesque villages and medieval castle ruins. The 22 mile stretch of the Danube from Melk to Krems is considered one of the most scenic areas in this part of Lower Austria.
We stopped briefly in Melk, a small town along the banks of the Danube. It’s famous for its 18th century Benedictine abbey which is the largest Baroque structure in Austria where monks have lived and worked for 900 years.
We stopped in the small town of Spitz for lunch at the Gasthaus Prankl. On a rocky ridge high above the restaurant is the ruins of the Hinterhaus Castle. The guesthouse offers a choice of dining on the outside stone terrace or inside the restaurant. At either spot, you can enjoy a glass of wine or beer and have a traditional meal made from local ingredients.
After lunch, we continued our drive, passing through sweet little villages like Weissenkirchen and Durnstein. On a hill high above Durnstein there are the ruins of a castle where King Richard the Lionheart was held prisoner by an Austrian Duke until a ransom was paid for his release.
The town of Krems makes a good start for a Danube river cruise of the area. While in the valley, you can also do a wine connoisseur’s tour of Wachau vineyards for tastings of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling that are famous in Austria.
Perhaps you might even want to take one of the very popular guided bike tours of the area stopping at some of the small growers for a wine tasting. After leaving Krems, it was just a short hour’s drive into Vienna, our next stop on our holiday.
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As many times as my husband and I have visited both Germany and Austria, this year’s trip took us to new areas. The Bavarian Forest is popular with Germans but almost unknown to foreign tourists. The Wachau Valley, on the other hand, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular with tourists from around the world. With lots of quaint towns along this area of Danube, the Wachau Valley is a very popular day trip from Vienna.
Would I return to visit the Bavarian Forest or spend time along the Danube River in the Wachau Valley again, absolutely…perhaps next year.
Back Road Journal 
What a wonderful trip and your hotel and the food there looks fabulous. Sorry about the rain but it sounds like the best place to be caught having to stay inside! I holidayed in Bavaria as a child with my family and remember it was beautiful and there was wonderful food … but that’s a very long time ago!
Hi Kay, Even the weather couldn’t stop us from having a wonderful trip. If you had to stay in because of rain, we couldn’t have had a nicer place.
Wonderful food, beautiful place…you two surely are having a great holiday in Europe.
Hi Angie, Our trip to Europe this year was a great one, thank you.
I had never heard of Röhrnbach, but that part of the Bavarian Forest is far from us and, as you may have seen, it is a very remote area not really geared up to tourists, partly due to its geography; before the borders to Eastern Europe opened that corner you visited was a so-called ‘dead end’. 😉 Beautiful if you get the right weather though! Such a shame it rained, but I am sure the spa was the best place to be in bad weather. Hope you have better luck next year!
Hi Cathy, What made us decide to stay inRöhrnbach was because the Jagdhof is one of the top wellness hotels in Bavaria. If the weather had been nice we were planning day trips to the Spiegelau glassworks and visit the Tittling village museum which is one of the largest open air museums in Europe. We had also planned to stop in Passau which is only a 30 minute drive away. Thank you for your nice comment and wish for a future visit. We will definitely try and go back as I’m sure the area is beautiful in sunny weather.
Beautiful scenery, gorgeous hotel and accommodations, and I think I’d prefer your travel budget to mine. 🙂
Hi Judy, I think I would have to agree with you on all counts, everything was very nice on this portion of our trip except for the rain.
What a beautiful region. I love he idea of a cheese buffet – I might eat the lot!
Hi Mad Dog, I am a real cheese lover too and like the idea of a cheese buffet as I get to try small bites of lots of cheeses that never make it to our country.
What an elegant place to visit! The scenery is so beautiful and the hotel.. my goodness fabulous! I only visited Bavaria briefly long time ago.
Hi Alida, If I only could visit one part of Germany, I think I would have to pick Bavaria. It is very scenic, the hotels are wonderful and there is very good food to be had. Oh and would you believe that there is great Italian food in the region as well. 🙂
It all looks so lovely, Karen! We are hoping to visit Munich in the spring and no doubt will explore Bavaria a little bit more. Thanks for sharing this info. 👍
Hi Fatima, You will love visiting Bavaria and especially Munich. Put Germany or Bavaria in my search box and you will come up with quite a few posts that I have written from previous years on the region.
Thank you again. I will closer to the time, as my memory is fading quickly! 😂😂😂
Wow! Such a nice time you’re having. Love your pictures — they really capture sense of place. Such a fun post to read — thanks.
Thank you for your nice comment John, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post…I appreciate you following along on our travels.
Dreamy, simply dreamy.
I agree Diane, it was lovely. 🙂
Thank you Karen for taking us on this scenic trip of an area I have never been. I am visiting friends near Augsburg for a day on my upcoming trip. I am going to show them this post.
Hi Gerlinde, I have a feeling that lots of people have never been to this area of Germany. I know you are going to have a wonderful time and I can wait to hear about your visit. Thank you as always for your nice compliment…I’m very happy that my German friend enjoys my posts. 😀
What a lovely journey you are on. Beautiful.
It was indeed a nice trip, Jovina…thank you.
What a beautiful place. The hotel is elegant and the scenery is amazing.
Hi Vicki, Thank you for stopping by and your nice comment. We enjoyed visiting a new area that we had not been to before and we so pleased with the hotel.
You’re making me want to hop on the next plane to Germany, so lovely and so much variety!!!
Hi Chris, That wouldn’t be such a bad idea. 😀 One thing we do enjoy about our trips to Germany as well as Austria is there are so many wonderful and different areas to visit.
Oh, I do not think I would have left your suite during your stay, but settled down with books, magazines and the curiosity of what was on local TV! Ganz gemütlich, denke ich !! And the dinner menu shown is quite afar from the usual German fare of the region. Have only been to Dürnstein so your descriptions were very welcome . . .
You are right about that Eha, the suite was very comfortable…it felt like you could settle in there for a month. While the typical foods that we both enjoy are always available, you find plenty of well prepared and beautifully plated dishes as well. We try to have a little of each when we travel. Dürnstein is a very pretty little town but the tourists have definitely discovered it.
I agree with Eha…I wouldn’t want to leave that beautiful suite! It is opulent and very beautiful! Your travel experiences are so varied and very special, Karen, and it’s clear you know how to make the most of a destination. I’m sorry the weather thwarted some of your original plans, but perhaps there will be another opportunity! 🙂
Hi Debra, We do try to have varied travel experiences and this year added a lot of new places to explore. I think you will enjoy the new posts coming up on Austria. Thank you for following along.
Beautiful photos and the food looks interesting and very tasty. Enjoy the weekend Diane
Thank you for your nice compliment Diane. The food was wonderful at the Jagdhof.
Wow, beautiful scenery, and that HOTEL! What a luxury.
Hi Lea Ann, The Jagdhof was fantastic, it was our first time staying there and hopefully won’t be our last.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!! What a great choice you made, everything looks picture perfect wonderful!
Hi Dina, You never really know when you book a new hotel, especially one where most everything written about it is in German. The Jagdhof was a real winner in every way and hopefully we will return for another visit.
What a great trip–and your pictures are gorgeous!
Thank you for your nice compliments Inger, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and photos.
Oh my…that all looks amazing!
Hi Tanya, We couldn’t have been happier…well maybe a little sunshine wouldn’t have hurt. 🙂
I too loved the Wachau Valley. The library in Melk Abby was amazing. Your hotel looks perfect and was a nice break from all the walking. The Bavarian Forest will be there for you to explore the next time. Great pictures!
Hi Darlene, I’m glad that you’ve had the opportunity to visit the Wachau valley, it is a lovely area of Austria. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos thank you.
Way better than Hurricane Irma! Lovely places and photos.
I agree with you Amy, we were lucky getting out of Florida before Irma hit. I’m glad that you enjoyed the photos, thank you.
Wow Karen!! What a gorgeous place– fun to get a peek inside. And I especially loved your stops along the way– it all looked so charming. Waiting to see what you post next from the trip… thanks! xox
Hi Rhonda, I’m glad that you enjoyed this portion of our trip. I just posted our next stop which was Vienna.
Fun Karen!! My sis just got back from Vienna yesterday!! I’ll have to compare your reports!! I’m off to read your post! Happy Thanksgiving!! xox
Reading this post, and looking at your gorgeous photos, was like being transported into a fairy tale. What a lovely destination and certainly a once in a lifetime travel destination.
Thank you for your kind words Doreen, they are much appreciated. I’m very happy that you enjoyed the post. 🙂
What a wonderful holiday indeed! This is the region I have dreamed about the most. Cannot wait to visit one day. Thanks for the great tour and gorgeous photos
Hi Tricia, Bavaria is such a lovely and diverse area of Germany…from these forests to the mountains that lie south. I do hope you will get a chance to visit someday.
What a beautiful holiday you are having! The Bavarian Forest looks so enchanting. Love the photos!
Thank you Jan, we did have a great holiday. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos.
Girl, you do know how to travel. Enjoying time being pampered in a spa is not a bad alternative to sightseeing. The area you’ve chosen to visit is lovely.
You gave me a chuckle Linda. 🙂 Our travel experiences lately have definitely been different. This was a new area and a new hotel for us and we were delighted with the facilities.
Beautiful, beautiful and beautiful again! Thanks for sharing your travel journeys with your readers.
Velva
You are welcome Velva, I’m happy to have you following along on our travels. Thank you!
Simply gorgeous!
Hi Debbie, I have to agree with you.
That looks like a superb hotel and a roomy suite. I’ve never really thought about visiting the Bavarian Forest until now!
Hi Lorraine, The Bavarian Forest is not that well known. We were very happy with our stay at the Jagdhof, it was excellent.
You made so many wise choices on this trip. Absolutely beautiful.
Hi Penny, This year’s trip had lots of new areas that we hadn’t been to before and each stop along the way was great.
Gosh, there are so many places I want to visit! My wife and I are just starting to talk about next year’s vacation, and I’ve got to say that a small town like Röhrnbach sounds enchanting. Plus, that hotel looks incredible! Your photos are gorgeous (as always), Karen…thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Hi David, This trip had us visiting lots of new areas in both Germany and Austria. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos and perhaps you will get some ideas for your travels next year.
Oh my gosh!! Can I be you for a few days…or weeks? lol! Seriously, what beautiful places you two have visited on this European vacation and this is another place I’m marking down in my bucket list 🙂
Hi Karrie, I do think I’m the luckiest girl in the world to be able to visit all the wonderful places I’ve been. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and I think you will enjoy what is coming up. Thank you for your nice comment. 😀
What an amazing trip. The hotel & food look so elegant. The Bavarian Forest is on my bucket list of placed to go.
Hi Pam, We did have an amazing trip this year. We loved everything about the Jagdhof.
You always select the most beautiful hotels in prime locations. I can certainly see why you would want to return to such a gorgeous location, who wouldn’t. The food looks so delicious too.
Hi Eva, I do a tremendous amount of research on the hotels we are thinking about staying at and the Jagdhof certainly did live up to its reputation as being one of the best.
Lovely images of what looks like a lovely holiday.
Thank you Darryl, I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Yes, this was indeed a wonderful trip.
I would never want to leave the Jagdhof either, Karen. Absolutely spectacular. Thanks for all the great photos. Sorry you didn’t get to explore the Bavarian Forest, hopefully next time. Thank you for this beautiful post – I feel like I was there too! xo
I appreciate your lovely comment Allie and I’m happy that you are following along on our adventure and enjoying it. Thank you.
It is such a beautiful part of Germany and that hotel really looks like the perfect base. We have visited Regensburg this year and just loved it! Miriam x
Hi Miriam, The Jagdhof is a wonderful hotel to explore this lovely part of Germany. Hopefully we will get a chance to visit Regensburg again…its been a long time since we were there and we had hoped to go there on this trip.
A lovely adventure!
Thank you Annie, it really was.
I have always wanted to visit Melk to see the Abbey – I think I heard about it when I was very young and it has since been on my wish list. Beautiful and alluring photos, Karen!
Hi David, The drive from Melk to Durnstein is a lovely part of Austria. We would like to spend a little more time in the Wachua valley on another trip. Wine and apricots are the specialty there and I love them both. 🙂
The hotel looks fabulous and the surroundings couldn’t get much better. What a great trip and a unique location to explore. Hope you return there again!
Hi Monica, The region and the hotel were new to us and we couldn’t have been happier with the Jagdhof. Thank you and I do hope we get a chance to return in nicer weather.
Everywhere you stay looks so elegant and special, Karen! I’ll bet you had a beautiful time there in spite of the rain. Beautiful photos!
Hi Susan, We really enjoyed the hotel and I couldn’t have found a nicer place to stay especially since we didn’t have good weather for exploring. Thank you for your nice compliment and I’m glad you enjoyed the photos.
Just beautiful, what a picturesque setting to relax and explore!
Hi Laura, I have to agree with you, after days of walking in Berlin and Prague, our two days of relaxing at the Jagdhof was very nice.
Hi Karen,
I live only about two hours from the Bavarian Forest in Germany and have been there a lot of times – once I also stayed at the Jagdhof – but after reading your post I see the area in a completely new light. Unfortunately we often don´t appreciate enough the things we have easily available. Thank you for opening my eyes.
Just gorgeous Karen! We wanted to visit Vienna last weekend but we changed our minds and stayed in Prague instead. Love the elegant hotel and spa! Can’t wait to take a trip there soon!
Have a great weekend!
Loving all of your accommodations this trip, Karen! How gorgeous.
It is such a gorgeous area to visit!