The walkway rises through the canopy of the Bavarian Forest, a steel and timber structure that lifts you 44 metres above the forest floor. Below, the trees of the oldest national park in Germany spread in every direction, their crowns forming a green carpet that stretches to the Czech border. The tree top walk at Neuschonau is 1,300 metres long, making it the longest continuous canopy walkway in the world. It ascends in a gentle spiral around a central tower, passing through different layers of the forest ecosystem. At the summit, a 55-metre viewing platform offers views across the Bavarian Forest to the ridges of the Bohemian Forest on the Czech side.
Do you wonder how it looks like in the treetops? Now it is possible to get there thanks to the Tree Top Walk, which was opened two years ago in Neuschönau, Germany. It is a part of the largest protected forest area in central Europe – Bavarian Forest National Park, which is also the first national park in Germany.
Tree Top Walk is the longest trail of that kind in the world, with a total length of 1300 metres. You can enjoy unspoilt nature at a height of 8-25 meters above the ground. The experience of walking through mixed forest is extended with three stations with a rope adventure elements, the swaying bridge, trapeze and the beam, which thrill not only children but also adults.
Walkway ends with 44 meters high observation tower, from which you can enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding nature. In clear weather you will even be able to see the north ridge of the Alps.
Both the trail and also the tower are barrier-free. Admission is €8 for adults, €6 for children of 6+ years, family ticket costs €19. The trail is open year round except for Christmas Day, every day from 9:30 am, according to an annual period closes at 15:30, respectively, at 18:00 or 19:30. In bad weather, such as storm or hurricane, the trail is closed.
For further details visit the official site of The world´s longest tree top walk.
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The World Longest Canopy Walkway
The Bavarian Forest Tree Top Walk, Baumwipfelpfad Bayerischer Wald, opened in 2014 and was designed by the architectural firm Harrer & Partner. The walkway consists of a wooden boardwalk that rises gradually from ground level to a height of 44 metres over a length of 500 metres of ramp, with the total path length including loops and viewing platforms reaching 1,300 metres. The central tower is constructed from locally sourced larch and Douglas fir timber, treated to withstand the weather conditions of the forest. The walkway is accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs, with a maximum gradient of 6 per cent. The structure incorporates educational stations at regular intervals, explaining the forest ecology, the tree species visible from the walkway, and the wildlife that inhabits the canopy. The 55-metre observation tower at the highest point offers a panoramic view that extends 40 kilometres into the Czech Republic on clear days. The canopy walkway is part of the Bavarian Forest National Park, which was established in 1970 as the first national park in Germany. The park covers 24,250 hectares of protected forest, of which 75 per cent has been left to natural processes without human intervention since a devastating storm in 1983 and subsequent bark beetle infestation. Entry to the tree top walk costs 12 euros for adults and 7.50 euros for children as of 2026.
The Bavarian Forest National Park Ecosystem
The Bavarian Forest National Park is a unique experiment in letting nature take its course. After the storm of 1983 felled vast areas of spruce forest, the park authorities decided not to remove the dead wood or replant the trees. The resulting landscape of standing dead timber became a haven for insects, fungi, and birds that depend on dead wood for their survival. The park is now home to species that are rare or extinct elsewhere in Germany, including the capercaillie, the Eurasian lynx, and the black stork. The population of the Eurasian lynx, reintroduced to the park in the 1990s, has grown to an estimated 30 to 40 individuals. The park also hosts the Bavarian Forest National Park Centre in Lusen, which features an underwater viewing area where visitors can observe fish and amphibians in the forest streams. The Animal Enclosures, Freigelande, located near the tree top walk, house species that once lived in the forest including wolves, bears, lynxes, and bison, in large natural enclosures. The open hours are 10am to 6pm from May to September and 10am to 4pm from October to April. The park is connected to the Czech Sumava National Park, creating a transboundary protected area of over 68,000 hectares, the largest continuous area of protected forest in Central Europe.
Planning Your Visit to the Bavarian Forest
The Bavarian Forest Tree Top Walk is located at Neuschonau, approximately 50 kilometres northeast of Passau and 200 kilometres east of Munich. The drive from Munich takes approximately two and a half hours via the A92 motorway. The area is also accessible by train from Munich to Zwiesel, followed by a bus connection to Neuschonau. The nearby town of Grafenau, 15 kilometres south, offers accommodation ranging from traditional Gasthöfe to modern hotels. The region is famous for its glassblowing tradition, centred on the town of Zwiesel, where the Zwiesel Kristallglas factory produces handmade crystal glassware. The glass museum in Passau, the Glasmuseum, displays over 30,000 pieces of glass from four centuries. The best time to visit the tree top walk is between May and September, when the weather is mild and the forest is in full leaf. Autumn offers spectacular colours as the beech trees turn gold and the spruce darkens. Winter visits require warm clothing as the walkway remains open but can be icy. The adjacent Hans-Eisenmann-Haus visitor centre provides maps, information, and a restaurant serving regional Bavarian cuisine. The National Park also offers guided ranger walks, night hikes, and wildlife observation tours.
Would you rather walk through the canopy of a primeval forest or explore its dark, mossy floor? Which perspective appeals to you?
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