Mount Bogenberg is 12km from Straubing and is the best observation deck in the vicinity: the Bavarian Forest, Gäuboden valley and the peaks of the Alps are visible from here. People lived on the mountain in the Bronze Age. The remains of earth ramparts are reminiscent of the mountain. The XV century church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Bavaria oldest sanctuary of St. Mary are here. It is connected with an old tradition, a special procession with a huge candle.
In the Middle Ages, Holzkirchen’s residents were attacked by bark beetles and vowed to walk 75 km with a giant candle to the church if they managed to get rid of them. Today, the 13-meter high and weighty structure made of red wax with a wooden core is reminiscent of it.