Furth im Wald, Germany

Furth im Wald is a town in the District of Cham, in Bavaria, Germany, near the Czech border. It is situated in the Bavarian Forest, 16 kilometres northeast of Cham, and 17 kilometres southwest of Domazlice. The city is known as Drachenstadt (Dragon City) in reference to Furth im Wald’s annual Drachenstich (Slaying of the Dragon) play. The Drachenstich, originally part of a Corpus Christi procession, was first mentioned in 1590. As one of the oldest folk plays in the German language, each year actors re-enact the legend of Saint Georg slaying the dragon.



The picturesque medieval town of Furth im Wald is nestled in the Bavarian forest. The town is exquisitely out of touch with modernity and that’s probably its best attraction. It’s like you have entered a town lost in time and existing in the pages of a history book; a big, fat, gilt-edged history book with lots and lots of pictures.

Rail Travel Times

Munich to Furth im Wald: 3 hrs 15 mins

Regensburg to Furth im Wald: 1 hr 18 mins

Pilsen to Furth im Wald: 1 hrs 7 mins

Prague to Furth im Wald: 2 hrs 51 mins

Plan and Book:

Furth im Wald, Germany: See and Do

Because of this long history of dragon killing, Furth im Wald has become known as The City of Dragons, something that will be obvious to anyone wandering around the town. There are dragons everywhere – painted on buildings, in sculptures, on the front of the town hall, etc. If you can’t make it to Furth in August to see the festival, you can see Tradinno the robot in his lair (the Drachenhohle) during the summer months (between Easter and October).

In addition, the town is home to the First German Dragon Museum where you can see dragon-themed memorabilia, art, historical objects, information about the Dragon Slaying Festival and the retired fire breathing dragon. The city’s museums are housed in the historic tower and adjacent buildings. Kite Museum focuses on the mythology of the dragon and the development of the Dragon slaying in Furth im Wald. Besides the exhibition, it is possible throughout the year, to take a look at the famous Further dragon. In the departments of Landestormuseum’s building is the story of the Bavarian-Bohemian Landestors showing the city on the border and the collections of the displaced persons from the former home district Bischofteinitz (Sudetenland) Museum of gravity.

The Dragon Slaying Festival (Drachenstich) has been performed in the village of Furth im Wald since 1590, and since 1887 this dramatic public drama has played out during the second week of every August. The festival consists of more than a thousand locals dressed up in historical costumes, with over 250 horses, a hero knight, and his wife who needs to be rescued from a giant, fire-breathing dragon. In 2006, the old fire-breathing monster was retired and replaced by a new electronic marvel – Tradinno, a massive fire-spewing robot. According the the Guinness Book of World Records, Tradinno, the 15.5-meter-long dragon, is the largest walking robot in the world.

Furth im Wald has a lovely Japanese garden which comes as a bit of a surprise in this otherwise medieval surroundings. It is indeed a great place to stroll around and enjoy the various arrangements of blooms and water features so typical to Oriental gardens.

For a change of pace, visit the historic Hammer Mill from the early 19th century, or the Felsengange which is a maze of underground passages deep below ground.