The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Brückelsee

I can only recommend Steinberger See. Great paths and many benches scattered around the lake, some with tables.

nice mini-golf course at the wakeboard facility

Pilgrimage Church Büchelberg The construction of the church began on March 15, 1748, the presbytery was completed in 1752, the nave in 1755, but the interior furnishings of the church were not completed until 1767. After the construction work was finished, however, the heyday of the pilgrimage had passed, and the little church was only of local importance. The church, dedicated to the Mother of God and St. John of Nepomuk, is a modest building with a three-sided choir. The high altar, the side altar, and the pulpit are designed in pleasing Rococo style. The high altar is four-columned; the altarpiece, created in 1800 by the Neunburg painter Merz, depicts the Sorrowful Mother of God. Above it is the Marian monogram and a number of cherub heads. On the tabernacle stands the devotional image, likely created in the late 18th century. It is a colorful reverse glass painting with a beautiful Rococo frame. This cult image captures four scenes that are historically or legendarily linked. On the lower right, the confession of the wife of the Bohemian King Wenceslaus is depicted. To the left of it, her confessor John of Nepomuk is thrown from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava River; above that, the saint ascends to heaven; on the right, a Passau Madonna of Perpetual Help is depicted. For safety reasons, the devotional image does not remain in the church and is only brought there for solemn occasions. To the left of the main altar stands St. Wendelin, the figure can be attributed to peasant Rococo. In a niche on the side altar stands the "Scourged Savior in the Meadow." On the other side is the pulpit with the symbol of the dove under the sounding board, crowned above by the Archangel Gabriel with the trumpet. An oil painting of the Virgin Mary, depicted as the Immaculata standing on the globe, is attached to the pulpit. The four large oil paintings still in the nave all have picture frames with Rococo attachments. Which saint is depicted in the first painting cannot be clearly determined; it could be St. Wendelin, but also St. Isidore. The other three paintings show scenes from the St. John of Nepomuk cycle. These paintings are likely also by the painter Merz, who came from Neunburg vorm Wald. Source: Excerpts from the Church Guide of the Deanery of Neunburg vorm Wald

From here you can watch the wakeboarders very nicely. A cozy spot. And I love watching the wakeboarders on their course.

Lake Steinberger Lake Steinberger is part of the Upper Palatinate Lake District and, with an area of 1.84 km², is the largest lake in the Upper Palatinate. It was named after the municipality of Steinberg am See. It is 1.98 km long, 1.4 km wide, and has a maximum depth of 50 meters. The Schreckerbach stream feeds and drains the lake. After the Bavarian lignite industry ceased mining operations in the mid-1980s, the open-cast mine "Steinberger See" was flooded by reducing the water level. Remaining mining equipment was demolished and still lies on the lakebed. Two small, wooded islands also remain, which now divide the lake into a northern and a southern section. In the following decades, tourism developed at Lake Steinberger, bringing a degree of economic growth to the region. In addition to the Steinberger Yacht Club (SYC), founded in 1987, the area now boasts a sailing school, a water ski lift, a boat rental, a leisure park for families and children, a surf club, and most recently, an adventure golf course and a roughly 40-meter-high wooden "adventure sphere" with viewing platforms, an obstacle course, and a giant slide. Numerous restaurants, inns, and cafés complement the leisure offerings. A water rescue station has been established for the safety of visitors. Due to the increasing improvement in water quality and visibility in recent years, Lake Steinberger has become one of the most popular diving areas in the Upper Palatinate. Like all lakes in the Upper Palatinate Lake District, which originated from lignite mines, the water is acidic due to leaching. Because of the ongoing improvement in water quality, fish populations are steadily increasing. Perch and the occasional pike have been observed most frequently. The water is very clean; on windless days, visibility is possible to a depth of at least 10 meters. Occasionally, the tops of dead trees can be seen on the bottom. According to the ordinance issued by the Schwandorf District Office on August 8, 2002, the entire Steinberger See is open for diving. Especially in summer and winter, very good visibility (up to 20 meters) has been possible in recent years. Source: Excerpts from www.wikipedia.de

Beautiful path around the lake, unfortunately a bit crowded in summer

Access to the new Hirschstein observation tower from the village of Fuhrn is very easy. The climb up 140 steps to the 26-meter-high platform is rewarded with a magnificent panoramic view of the Upper Palatinate Lake District and the Upper Palatinate Forest. A pleasant seating area on the platform invites you to take a rest and relax.

You have to be here. Great all-round view.