Schmidmühlen: Star Trail, Historic Center and Vils

Schmidmühlen reveals special details shaped by local history and water: in the historic center, former farmers’ houses define the townscape, and an arm of the Lauterach runs through the market town. The Star Trail and a stage of the Vils canoe tour add further distinctive features.

The Star Trail and a special stop

The Star Trail is set up from the first Sunday of Advent until Epiphany. Its final stop and one of its highlights is the glass bauble hut in front of the town hall. More than 3,500 Christmas tree baubles are hung inside. The season is an important point of reference when planning your trip: if you would like to experience the Star Trail, plan your visit during this period and check the local status before setting off.

Historic center and market town center

The historic center of Schmidmühlen was renovated from 1989 to 1995 with support from the urban development funding program. In the town center are former farmers’ houses with wide hop lofts. These buildings give local history a tangible face: their wide lofts refer to hops in their very name, while the Lauterach arm forms another facet of the town. Those interested in the historic town center will find a different focus here than on a trip on the water.

A stage of the Vils canoe tour

The fourth stage of the Vils canoe tour passes through Vilswörth and the market town of Schmidmühlen before continuing to Emhof. This also offers a way to experience Schmidmühlen as part of a longer canoe trip. When choosing your accommodation, you can consider whether the historic center or this stage should play a bigger role in your stay. The route description indicates the course of the stage; plan your outing based on the tour you actually intend to take.

More ways to explore the Amberg-Sulzbacher Land

The wider destination of Amberg-Sulzbach offers other distinct nature, culture and culinary experiences. For hiking, the region features towering limestone cliffs, gentle Jura hills, extensive forests and scenic river valleys. The Felsenweg trail leads from Sackdilling through the rock labyrinth to the Bauernlöcher: the hike is 2.7 kilometers long and takes about 45 minutes. The Wacholderwanderweg is also one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the Amberg-Sulzbacher Land.

Those interested in mining history can visit the East Bavarian Mining and Industry Museum at Kultur-Schloss Theuern. It researches and documents mining and industry in the East Bavarian region, keeping their history alive. The Kirwan festivals are another cultural tradition in the Amberg-Sulzbacher Land: since 2023, they have been part of Bavaria’s intangible cultural heritage. They are celebrated each year in the respective town and are open to visitors and residents alike.

Regional cuisine can also play a role in planning your vacation. Many restaurants in the Amberg-Sulzbacher Land regularly invite guests to a traditional Schlachtschüssel feast. It includes Wurschtsuppn and Kesselfleisch, along with blood sausages, liver sausages and bratwursts made using the restaurants’ own recipes; dates vary by restaurant. For another perspective on the water, the Vils is navigable by canoe from Hahnbach. The trip passes unmodified stretches of river, castles and historic Amberg.

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to decide first what you would like to focus on: should your stay center mainly on Schmidmühlen’s town center and the canoe stage described here, or would you rather plan around other experiences in the wider destination of Amberg-Sulzbach? The regional examples mentioned are distinct destinations in the Amberg-Sulzbacher Land, not features of Schmidmühlen’s town center. This can help you choose where to stay based on the experiences you want to shape your trip.

Discover more destinations: Edelsfeld, Ammerthal, Weigendorf, Ebermannsdorf, Schnaittenbach, Königstein, Auerbach in der Oberpfalz, Birgland.

See the overview of the wider destination: Amberg-Sulzbach.