Kulmbach: Hiking Trails, Castles and Brewing Culture

Hikes of varying lengths

The Franconian Forest Trail “Rehbergweg” is an 11-kilometre circular route. It leads from Plassenburg Castle to Rehberg, through Kulmbach’s old town and back to the starting point. Another option at Kulmbach’s Rehberg is the nature trail: it is about 4 kilometres long and has 21 learning stations. This means you can choose between the longer circular route, which includes a section through the old town, and a shorter trail with themed stations, without combining them into a single route.

There are also hikes with specified distances beyond Kulmbach. The official hiking guide lists the 11-kilometre circular route between Thurnau and Kasendorf. In Wonsees, it recommends the 13.5-kilometre Große-Wonsees-Erlebnisrunde. These two distances can help you factor trail length into your choice; they do not indicate other details, such as walking time or difficulty.

The Kulmbach region offers hiking, cycling and motorcycling tours through terrain ranging from gently rolling to challenging. One notable natural attraction is the Steinach Gorge near Presseck: it is an approximately 300-metre-long section of a natural monument between Neumühle and the former Waffenhammer. Another route idea is the Rotmainauen hiking trail. It leads from the former state horticultural show grounds in Bayreuth via Heinersreuth and Neudrossenfeld to Langenstadt.

Castles, gardens and regional culture

In Wonsees, Zwernitz Castle is located right next to the Sanspareil Rock Garden. The castle was first mentioned in an official document in 1156 as the ancestral seat of the Walpoten family. Visitors can climb its tower for sweeping views across the Franconian Switzerland Nature Park. The rock garden’s rock theatre in the grove, Oriental Building and Kitchen Building have all been preserved to this day. The castle and garden thus represent different aspects of a visit: the historic castle and the garden’s surviving structures.

The Bavarian Brewery Museum is part of Kulmbach’s brewing culture. Covering more than 3,000 square metres of exhibition space, it explores the history and art of brewing beer. A visit ends with a sample from the Glass Museum Brewery. For a different cultural and historical focus, the German Steam Locomotive Museum in Neuenmarkt preserves more than 30 steam locomotives in a historically developed railway setting. In Limmersdorf, an open-air exhibition documents the traditions and customs surrounding dancing lindens.

Plan your trip and choose a focus

For a motorcycle tour, there is the “Around Kulmbach” route: it starts and ends in Kulmbach and is just over 200 kilometres long. If you would like to include destinations accessible by public transport in your travel plans, you can consider an official public transport connection from Kulmbach via Thurnau, Sanspareil and Wonsees, continuing to Hollfeld and Ebermannstadt. The hiking trails, motorcycle tour and public transport connection offer different ways to organise your excursions.

When choosing a holiday apartment, you can first consider what you would like your holiday to focus on: hiking trails and scenery, Plassenburg Castle and the old town, brewing history, railways or the places along the routes described. The trail distances provide a practical point of reference when making your choice; you can weigh up the destinations and experiences according to your own travel plans.

More town and village pages

Discover the pages for Grafengehaig, Presseck, Wirsberg, Trebgast, Thurnau, Mainleus, Kulmbach, Neudrossenfeld, Marktleugast, Himmelkron, Stadtsteinach, Untersteinach, Neuenmarkt, Wonsees, Kasendorf and Marktschorgast.

Return to the main travel overview: Bavaria.