The Bayerische – Wald is an immense mixed beach and pine forest that stretches from Deggendorf in the south, to the town of Weiden in the north and east into the Czech Republic where it is also designated a National Park. This cross border unity of policy ensures the integrity of the entire habitat for the benefit of the public, and more importantly the endemic wildlife of the area.

This was to be my first foray into this part of Europe and the trip was arranged as part of my Camera Safaris programme. Two of my regular clients Bob & Jan Rolf accompanied me on the trip.

In the south west corner of the park, the Bavarian Authorities have collected a range of forest animals, Brown Bear, Pine Marten, Wolf, Bison and the endangered European Lynx plus many bird species, all housed in very large enclosures, designed with a very sympathetic eye. Use of natural features, such as cliffs, outcrops and water features abound, with both the photographer and the artist well catered for. This attention to detail is probably seen at it’s best in the aviaries, large roofed hides open into the enclosures and where the wire netting or glass would be in most parks, the designers have placed vertical lines of piano wire roughly 2-3 inches apart. These wires are supported top and bottom by a small spring, which allows the photographer to pull the wires apart and put through any size of lens without difficulty. If only photographers were welcomed by such thoughtfulness at other venues!

Setting out from the Information Centre and restaurant you soon enter the forest proper and head up hill to where the first of the aviaries are located, this one housing birds of the forest edges including Hobby and Crossbill. The Hobby was a beauty and resting around thirty feet away on a moss encrusted stump, sheer delight! The male Crossbill was less accommodating but a couple of decent shots of the females made up for that. Moving on we passed the European Bison and carried on up a steep incline to the Lynx. What an enclosure! Craggy, wooded and very natural with three viewing points, the first at the bottom of the enclosed hill, one half way up and another at the top of the climb overlooking a steep rock formation, it was here that our luck was really in with a pair of Lynx on a ledge backed by pine trees. Bliss!

Our next port of call on this first day was the Wild Boar, this enclosure is a ‘walk through’ and the only one in the park, and what an experience. The animals took absolutely no notice of us whatsoever, and I was able to lie in the leaf litter and get a close up head shot of a female that I consider one of my best images of the week.

Our final port of call for the day was the Brown Bear and again we were not disappointed. The range of colours on show was remarkable, ranging from honey gold to dark brown, but whatever shade, these animals are magnificent both photogenically and in stature.

The rest of the week followed a similar pattern, but with two breaks to visit smaller parks, one at Straubling 50 kms to the west to look at another collection of Brown Bear, and one to Lohberg about 70 kms north to photograph some forest birds. It was here that we managed to get shots of Bullfinch, Nutcracker and Brambling and in hides of a similar quality to the main National Park.

The weather I have to say during our week long visit was not of the best, with rain and squally showers interspersed with patchy sun predominating, in fact a proposed shoot of Beaver having to be cancelled due to flooding of the Danube. However for all that, the week was one of the best photo weeks I have had in 10 years of traveling. The terrain is demanding, the depths of this great forest, awesome, and the light for photographers can be more than difficult, but where is the achievement in doing anything if we are not pressed to our limits? The long shot of the Lynx sitting on a small ledge at the top of a cliff will not win any prizes as a photograph but it illustrates just how a modern ‘zoo’ can look with sympathetic designers, and the park authorities along with the Bavarian Government should be praised for this enlightened approach. A further plus is that the management is committed to keeping the park open throughout the year including during the winter snows that can reach depths of two metres or so. Just like my own local council really!

So successful did I rate the trip that I am looking to arrange a 6 day visit for the first week in November when the trees should still have good colour and again in early Feb to work in the snow.

To view pictures taken on this trip please go to the Photo Gallery.

For details please e-mail me at
bavaria@vicsharrattcamerasafaris.com