Erlauzwieseler See, reservoir

Erlauzwieseler See is a reservoir about 2.5 km east of Waldkirchen's centre, by the hamlet of Erlauzwiesel in the Bavarian Forest. It is divided into a 6,800 m² forepond, 120 m long and 56 m wide, and a main pond, with a dam between them that visitors may not walk on. The most noticeable structure on the shore is the Seebühne stage.

In 1472 Bishop Ulrich von Nußdorf of Passau acquired the Mühlgericht at Erlauzwiesel and had Reichermühlbach dammed to create a six- to seven-hectare fish pond. After secularisation the pond passed to the Bavarian state, which drained it in 1806 and sold the 21 Tagwerk to 21 buyers. From 1962 the municipality of Ratzing planned a new lake for tourism, bought about 15 hectares of low-yield meadow in 1969/70, and completed the pond before Ratzing was incorporated into Waldkirchen in 1970.

The lake's name comes from the hamlet of Erlauzwiesel, where a bishop's fish pond was created in 1472 by damming the Reichermühlbach. Its most conspicuous structure is the Seebühne, an open-air stage on the shore used for cultural events of all kinds. The Kurparkweg path links the lake with Waldkirchen's town centre.

Two free parking areas on either side of the lake make access straightforward for visitors arriving by car. Well-marked walking and biking trails circle the water and connect to Waldkirchen, allowing visitors to explore at their own pace and adjust their route based on time available.

The lake is fed not by the Reichermühlbach but by the cleaner Schambach, led through an old millrace into a 120-metre-long, 56-metre-wide pre-pond of 6,800 m² and 4,000 m³, where fine particles settle for about eight days before the water passes the main dam. The dam itself may not be walked on, to keep its filtering effect intact.