Last weekend I took a 3 hours’ drive from Mannheim to Grafenwöhr. Grafenwöhr is a district in the Upper Palatinate of eastern Bavaria. Grafenwöhr, or Graf as it is called by the U.S. military and affiliated Expats, is known chiefly for the U.S. training base and the beautiful Bavarian landscape. I ended up staying a few minutes away from the military base in a town called Erbendorf. I have been to this particular town once before, and even with that brief encounter returning there seemed familiar. The winding roads and semi-dense tree line seemed to romance me into remembering a time when for a split second I actually felt happy.

I left Erbendorf and drove to my next stop, the Baumwipfelpfad Bavarian Forest. There I was excited to see the Treetop Walk, which opened in 2010 and was cited back in 2012 as being the world’s longest Treetop Walk in Bavaria. I later discovered that there are 3 other treetop walks about 3 – 4 hours away from Neuschonau, which is the area where the Baumwipfelpfad Treetop Walk is located.

Baumwipfelpfad Treetop Walk is 1,300 meters, which is about 4,265 feet, and is 25 meters or 83 feet above the tree line. This tree walk is shaped like an egg or oval, made out of wooden and metal reinforcements. The very top of this structure gives a breathtaking view of the forest, and on a clear day, the northern ridge of the Alps makes an appearance.

From the top deck, you get a 360 view of the shows off the vastness of the Bavarian forest. It’s a magnificent lookout point with very few lines and crowning issues. You can easily spend 20 minutes or more on the top doing a photoshot without worrying too much about a large crowds.

This treetop walk is not only accessible to abled-bodied men, women, and children, but it is also significantly easier for those with various disabilities to enjoy. As you enter there is an elevator that takes you to the starting point. From that point you move towards the ticketing area, then onto the wooden walkway. There are no stairs until you make your way towards the top desk.

Upon close examination I recognized that the design of the treewalk is one of functional beauty, and considerate for various human and environmental needs.

The tree walk isn’t the only attraction in this area, as there are several walking, hiking trails, and camping ground dotting all over landscape. In addition, it is a beautiful place to enjoy nature, have a picnics, visit restaurants, and just enjoy a place devoid of traffic, noise, and big-city life.

After a long drive and walking around the Treetop, we ended our tour at one of the restaurants on-ground. I will be honest with my readers when I say that I am never excited about going to restaurants in parks. They are often not that good and over-priced.

We ate at “Restaurant am Baumwipfelpfad”, the highlight of this experience was their baked potatoes with cream, salad on the side, fresh mushrooms, bacon, and herbs. The taste and presentation went way above what I expected.

The second best item was the apple strudel with vanilla ice cream and cream. Compared to the apple strudels I’ve had in the United States, I must say that it was a lot less sweet.

In the U.S., desserts are always extra sweet, and you end up having several overly sweet items on one plate fighting for your attention. That was not the case for this apple strudel. Pairing this pastry with ice cream makes it more palatable and balances the dish. This was the best dessert I have had in months that did not make me feel indulgent.

Although the menu was simple, the simplicity made it shockingly good.

Besides the expeirence at the tree walk, driving in this area is absolutely beautiful. The wining roads, foggy mountain, corn fields, churches, and the darkness of the dense forest was magical and worth seeing at least once.  Seems like a magical place to exist in or at least see and touch for yourself.

Discover more about information Baumwipfelpfad Bavarian Forest Treetop Walk.

Opens Monday to Sunday from 09:30am to 7:00pm. Tickets for adults is 11,00€ children under 6,00€ get in for free, and from 7-14 years of age 9,00€

Böhmstraße 43, 94556 Neuschönau, Germany
https://www.baumwipfelpfade.de/en/bayerischer-wald/