A day in Upper Franconia ()
Forests with hot springs and towns full of castles and breweries are what define Oberfranken, or Upper Franconia. This northernmost portion of Bavaria is historically, culturally and linguistically different from the southern portion of the Bundesland (state).
Franconia is divided into three regions with Upper Franconia being the higher elevation portion along the northern border with Thuringia. It is named for the Germanic Franks who occupied and conquered much of Europe in the 5th to 8th centuries after the fall of Rome. Frankish people from the Rhineland gave Franconia its unique name and German dialect. Interestingly, some Frankish groups also pushed westward into Gaul, eventually giving France its namesake. Franconia became an important political and religious power base within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1803 Franconia was absorbed by the Kingdom of Bavaria with support from Napoleon and remains politically tied to Bavaria today.
Hiking and Hot Springs
Known as the “Green Crown of Bavaria” the Franconian Forest is a beautifully wild area of uplands covered in dense forest and perfect for a day of hiking. The forest service has a list of recommended day hiking routes easily findable on their interactive map. These routes are all well-marked with information panels, rest stops and cafes to grab a pint along the way.
One trail follows the former border between East and West Germany. The 14-kilometer loop is primarily within the Thuringian Muschwitz stream nature reserve. This area used to be edged in barbed wire and lookout towers, but the green belt of ecological growth between the borders thrived.
Visit Stars and Stripes Europe on Komoot for a trail map.
You can also stay longer in the forest by reserving a wilderness trekking campsite. Visit the Frankenwald website for more information.
After hiking, visit one of the numerous thermal springs in the area. The Therme Bad Steben lies nearby in the heart of the forest and combines traditional buildings with ultra-modern facilities. The two mineral springs feeding the sauna have been used for their healing properties since the 1400s. The town developed into a tourist spa in the 1700s and was later awarded a position as a “Royal Bavarian State Spa.”
Castles and Breweries
Bayreuth is the final town along the German Castle Road, which begins far to the west in Mannheim and visits roughly 60 castles along a 780-kilometer route. The four palaces in Bayreuth were constructed at the height of the Kingdom of Prussia’s Rococo period in the 1700s. The town was also home to famed composer, Richard Wagner, whose grave and museum are a tribute to his mythological operas. Downtown, visit the small traditional Manns Bräu local brewery for a taste of Franconian specialties.
To learn even more about beer brewing, visit the Maisel & Friends brewery complex. Here you can take a tour of the brewery, including a fascinating look at the underground catacombs. There is also a beer garden and restaurant for tasting one of the 100 beers available, with 21 on tap.
The next castle town is Kulmbach. Its hilltop Plassenburg fortress hosts a unique set of museum collections about castle life and tin figures. Nearby you’ll find the unique beer, spice and bakery museums at Kulmbach's Mönchshof. The former monastery boasts 600 years of beer brewing history and is worth visiting for its traditional Bräuhaus.
Further north is the Rosenberg fortress, one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Bavaria where you can take a tour to see the secret tunnels underneath. It was built in the 1200s and sits on the hill above the quaint walled town of Kronach, hometown of Lucas Cranach, an artist famous for his painting of protestant reformer Martin Luther. Learn more about Cranach at the town museum or just wander the along cute, cobbled streets past medieval architecture to one of the three local brew pubs.
Upper Franconia boasts the highest density of breweries in the world. If hiking from brewery to brewery sounds fun, try a Braueienweg, or brewery trail. An easy 14-kilometer trail through the rocky and scenic valleys surrounding the town of Aufsess is a classic route taking in four breweries and a castle.
