Stadtbus Weiden

Stadtbus Weiden (formally Stadtbus Weiden in der Oberpfalz) is the urban public transport bus system of Weiden in der Oberpfalz, a city in Bavaria's Upper Palatinate region of Germany. It is a regional transport brand rather than a vehicle manufacturer: the network is operated under contract by the private bus company Wies Faszinatour, while tickets are sold through the Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg (VGN), the greater Nuremberg transport association. Journeys within the city are priced at VGN fare level E, while trips to the neighbouring municipalities of Schirmitz and Pirk are charged at price level 1. The network is built around eight main lines that link the city centre, the central bus station (Zentraler Omnibus-Bahnhof, ZOB) and the railway station with residential districts such as Hammerweg, Mooslohe, Weiden-West, Rehbühl, Weiden-Ost, Stockerhut, Fichtenbühl and Rothenstadt. Line 1901 forms the most important north–south axis, connecting Hammerweg in the north with the centre and the southern districts of Fichtenbühl and Rothenstadt, and serving major destinations including the Weidener Thermenwelt spa, the Hans-Schröpf-Arena, the city cemetery, the Klinikum Weiden hospital and Weiden railway station. Other lines radiate to the animal shelter, the Schätzlerbad outdoor pool, the OTH Amberg-Weiden university campus and the FOS/BOS vocational schools, and beyond the city boundary to Schirmitz, Pirk and, in some cases, Matzlesberg. Service is organised into normal and off-peak operation. Under the timetable concept introduced in 2025, eight lines run every 30 minutes during normal operation, with frequencies increased to every 15 minutes during the morning and afternoon peaks (roughly 06:45–09:15 and 15:00–18:00), and operating hours from about 05:00 to 21:00 Monday to Friday. Seven lines provide off-peak service on an hourly basis, with Saturday frequencies increased to every 30 minutes between 11:00 and 16:00 and line 1901 running at that frequency all day. Saturday service runs from about 06:15 to 18:45 and Sunday service from about 11:00 to 19:00. Because the operator Wies Faszinatour also runs regional bus routes that pass through the city, some stops served by interurban lines are also considered part of the Stadtbus Weiden network. The ZOB is the central interchange point, used by all Stadtbus lines as well as regional routes 1941, 1962 and 1963, with additional regional services stopping at the nearby Neues Rathaus stop. Weiden railway station, the busiest station in the northern Upper Palatinate, is served by Stadtbus lines 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907 and 1908 and acts as the starting point for most regional bus routes, giving passengers connections to Regensburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Bayreuth, Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Marktredwitz and Hof by rail. The brand is therefore best understood as a municipal transport service identity: it does not manufacture vehicles or sell consumer products, but provides scheduled urban mobility under a public-service framework, with the city of Weiden as the responsible authority and Wies Faszinatour as the operating company. Its public-facing presence is the Wies Faszinatour website, which hosts the Stadtbus Weiden timetable planner, route network maps, fare information and service-disruption notices.

The history of organised urban bus transport in Weiden in der Oberpfalz begins at the turn of 1947/1948, when the first motorised city omnibus entered service. This marked the start of a municipal bus operation that would gradually replace earlier, smaller-scale forms of local public transport and grow into the network known today as Stadtbus Weiden. Over the following decades the network expanded alongside the city. Weiden, an industrial and administrative centre in the northern Upper Palatinate, grew outward into districts such as Hammerweg, Mooslohe, Weiden-West, Rehbühl, Weiden-Ost, Stockerhut, Fichtenbühl and Rothenstadt, and bus routes were extended to connect these areas with the centre, the central bus station and the railway station. The operator Wies Faszinatour, a private bus company, became the company responsible for running the Stadtbus Weiden service, while the Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg (VGN) took on the role of fare authority, selling tickets and setting fare levels. Journeys within the city were assigned to VGN fare level E, while trips to the neighbouring municipalities of Schirmitz and Pirk were priced at level 1. For many years the network used a timetable concept that remained valid until 31 July 2025. Under that older scheme, normal services used single-digit line numbers and off-peak services used two-digit numbers. Seven lines operated in normal service at 15- or 30-minute intervals and together served roughly 150 stops. Five lines operated in off-peak service at 40-minute intervals, running Monday to Friday from 05:00 to 06:00 and from 18:15 to 20:30, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. A new timetable concept took effect from 1 August 2025. Under the current scheme, eight lines serve the city districts via the ZOB at 30-minute intervals in normal operation, with frequencies increased to 15 minutes during the main peak periods, roughly 06:45 to 09:15 and 15:00 to 18:00. Operating hours run from about 05:00 to about 21:00 Monday to Friday. In off-peak operation, seven lines run on an hourly cycle; on Saturdays this is increased to a 30-minute interval between 11:00 and 16:00, and line 1901 maintains a 30-minute interval throughout the day. Saturday operating hours are approximately 06:15 to 18:45, and Sunday hours approximately 11:00 to 19:00. The network is structured around eight main lines. Line 1901 is the most important north–south axis, linking the northern district of Hammerweg with the centre and the southern districts of Fichtenbühl and Rothenstadt, and serving the Weidener Thermenwelt, the Hans-Schröpf-Arena, the city cemetery, the Klinikum Weiden and the railway station. Line 1902 runs from the ZOB to Mooslohe and the animal shelter, with off-peak extensions to the Schätzlerbad. Line 1903 connects the inner city with the western districts of Weiden-West and Rehbühl, terminating in the Brandweiher industrial area at Hutschenreuther Straße, or at Brandweihersiedlung in off-peak service. Line 1904 runs from the ZOB to Weiden-Ost on a large loop, returning via the railway station and serving the OTH Amberg-Weiden campus and the FOS/BOS Weiden schools. Line 1905 is a ring line that splits at the ZOB and Weigelstraße, with buses running in both directions through Weidingweg, Latsch, Neunkirchen and Frauenricht. Line 1906 operates only in normal service between the ZOB and the Schätzlerbad, also serving Rehbühl. Line 1907 connects Stockerhut with the ZOB and the railway station. Line 1908 serves the outlying municipalities of Schirmitz and Pirk, in some cases continuing via Pirkerziegelhütte to Matzlesberg. Because Wies Faszinatour also operates regional bus lines within the city area, some stops served by interurban routes are counted as part of the Stadtbus Weiden network. The ZOB is the most important interchange point: all Stadtbus lines and regional routes 1941, 1962 and 1963 pass through it, and numerous regional buses also stop at the adjacent Neues Rathaus stop. Weiden railway station, the busiest station in the northern Upper Palatinate, is served by Stadtbus lines 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907 and 1908, in some cases in one direction only, and is the starting point for most regional bus lines, providing onward rail connections to Regensburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Bayreuth, Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Marktredwitz and Hof. The Josefskirche stop is another important node, with lay-bys on both sides of Bürgermeister-Prechtel-Straße designed for several buses at once and a covered waiting area. Today Stadtbus Weiden functions as the public transport identity of the city, combining a contracted private operator, a public transport authority and an integrated fare association. Its public information is published through the Wies Faszinatour website, which provides the journey planner, route network maps, fare and offer information, disruption notices and contact details.

• 2025

  Old timetable concept remains valid until 31 July 2025; new concept takes effect from 1 August 2025.

• 2025

  New timetable concept introduces eight normal-service lines at 30-minute intervals with 15-minute peak reinforcement, and seven off-peak lines.

• 1947

  First motorised city omnibus in Weiden enters service at the turn of 1947/1948.

Municipal public transport brand for Weiden in der Oberpfalz, operated by Wies Faszinatour and integrated into the VGN fare network.

• Line 1901

  Most important north–south axis, linking Hammerweg with the centre and Fichtenbühl/Rothenstadt; serves Weidener Thermenwelt, Hans-Schröpf-Arena, city cemetery, Klinikum Weiden and the railway station.

• Line 1902

  Runs from the ZOB to Mooslohe and the animal shelter; off-peak extension to Schätzlerbad.

• Line 1903

  Connects the inner city with Weiden-West and Rehbühl; terminates in the Brandweiher industrial area.

• Line 1904

  Runs from the ZOB to Weiden-Ost on a large loop, returning via the railway station; serves OTH Amberg-Weiden and FOS/BOS Weiden.

• Line 1905

  Ring line splitting at ZOB/Weigelstraße, running in both directions through Weidingweg, Latsch, Neunkirchen and Frauenricht.

• Line 1906

  Normal service only, between ZOB and Schätzlerbad, also serving Rehbühl.

• Line 1907

  Connects Stockerhut with the ZOB and the railway station.

• Line 1908

  Serves Schirmitz and Pirk outside the city, partly continuing via Pirkerziegelhütte to Matzlesberg.

1. 1Wies Faszinatour: Homewies-bus.de
2. 2Stadtbus Weiden – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Stadtbus Weiden in der Oberpfalz – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org