Bad Neualbenreuth wins silver – strong village community thrilled!

Bad Neualbenreuth wins silver – strong village community thrilled!

What's new from Bad Neualbenreuth? In an outstanding achievement, the charming community won a silver medal and an additional special prize of 2,000 euros in this year's “Our Village has a Future” competition. This competition, which has taken place every three years since 1961, identifies the districts that shine through sustainable and future-oriented development. The final event was on November 22nd, 2025 in Veitshöchheim, and Bad Neualbenreuth was able to successfully prevail against 82 participants from all over Bavaria. The special prize from the Bavarian Garden, Landscape and Sports Field Construction Association (VGL Bayern) recognizes the successful design of the leisure area at the village pond, which opened in July 2023 after around two years of construction.

For the community of Bad Neualbenreuth, which has established itself as a unique model community in the Tirschenreuth district, this award is a confirmation of the committed solidarity. District Administrator Roland Grillmeier emphasized the importance of the village community and the excellent cooperation between citizens, clubs and the community as the key to success. “A silver medal is more than just a prize; it is a sign of the strong community,” said Grillmeier. Silver medals have only been awarded twice in the district, most recently around 20 years ago.

Sustainable development in focus

The competition not only assesses the ecological framework conditions, but also the social, economic and cultural commitment of the population. The aim is to strengthen the cohesion of village communities and promote the integration of new and old residents. The focus was also on innovative approaches to improving quality of life and climate protection, which is particularly important in times when environmental awareness is very important.

The support did not come by chance: the district advisory service for horticulture and land conservation at the Tirschenreuth district office actively supported Bad Neualbenreuth during the competition with information events, site visits and technical advice. This close collaboration has paid off and has made enormous progress in the development of the village.

The look ahead

The next round of the competition is already being planned and will be supplemented with new content. This gives all villages in the district the opportunity to show their innovative strength and present themselves once again. It remains exciting to see who will come out on top in the next competition.

In total, over 27,300 Bavarian villages have taken part in this competition over the past 65 years. The constant development of the competition helps to promote the active design of living spaces and strengthen the identity of the villages. Bad Neualbenreuth's outstanding performance is a great role model that shows what is possible when the entire community pulls together. For the village community, this success is not only a reason to be happy, but also an incentive to continue on the path of sustainable development.

You can find more information about this great success on the website of Tirschenreuth district and Upper Palatinate Echo.