The Historic Visitor Mine

The centrepiece of any Silberberg visit is the Historisches Besucherbergwerk — the historical visitor mine. Equipped with hard hat and mining coat, you follow your guide through the over-600-metre Barbarastollen, a tunnel named after Saint Barbara, patron of miners. The passage leads deep into the mountain to the Großer Barbaraverhau, a vast underground chamber where original machines and shaft structures still tell their story. Forty-five-minute guided tours weave factual mining history with local legends and myths from the days when Bodenmais was a hard-rock silver town.↗

Above ground near the mine entrance, the remains of Gottesgab — an open-pit mining scar — offer a dramatic glimpse into how early miners stripped the hillside before they could tunnel deeper.↗

Riding Up, Racing Down

The Silberbergbahn chairlift connects the valley station to the summit in a gentle climb, passing the middle station where the mine, restaurants, and coaster sit. At 932 metres the mountain station offers panoramic views over densely forested ridges, the town of Bodenmais nestled in the valley below, and on clear days the peaks of Kleiner Arber, Hochzell, and the Zwieseler Winkel beyond.↗↗

The classic Sommerrodelbahn — a 600-metre summer toboggan run — lets gravity do the steering through sharp curves and long accelerating straights. In July 2025 a brand-new Silberberg Coaster opened alongside it: a rail-guided alpine roller coaster with 450 metres of uphill pull and 780 metres of downhill speed, two spinning helixes, and a twisting passage through the treetops. Unlike the classic run, the coaster operates in all weather. Every Friday evening the resort hosts Sunsetcoasting sessions from 17:00 to 21:00, where a time-pass lets you ride as many circuits as you like under the fading light.↗

Hiking the Mountain and the Silbersteig

Several waymarked trails circle or climb Silberberg. The Silbersteig path threads through mining history and forest between Bodenmais and the summit. The Four Seasons Trails Bo51 (Silberberg Loop) and Bo61 (Silberberg Round) make good circuits of moderate length. For a longer day, the "On the Miners' Trail" hike covers roughly 11 km and 350 metres of elevation, past the Barbara chapel and up to the twin peaks with that signature valley view.↗↗

The round trail past Gottesgab and the Sachsenhäng rock faces adds geological drama to the walk, passing between massive trunks and bizarre outcrops nicknamed the "burnt-out place." After the hike, descend via the toboggan or lift — the return to Bodenmais from the valley station follows a gentle path through small woodland back to town.↗

Silberberg in Winter

When snow falls, the family-friendly ski slopes on Silberberg's north side come alive. A dedicated children's ski park with a magic-carpet lift and a ski carousel lets tiny skiers learn without the stress of a full chairlift, while a separate kids' lift operates alongside the main runs. The sled run from the middle station to the valley station promises fast evening fun, and snowshoe routes lead quietly to the summit for winter sunsets.↗

Eating and Relaxing on the Mountain

Three mountain venues cover different moods: the Silberberg-Alm near the top serves hearty Bavarian fare with terrace views; the Bergmann-Schänke at the middle station has a cosy miners' pub atmosphere and is open from 10:00 to 17:00 daily in summer; and Herberts Bar, also at the middle station, is the spot for an evening drink as the sun drops behind the forest ridges.↗