Burgthann between castle, museum and trails
Accommodation in Burgthann
Burgthann tells its story through a castle whose origins date back to the 12th century, while also offering a range of ideas for spending time in nature. At the local history museum, you can discover what everyday life was like in the past, while hiking trails and the landscape around the municipality draw your gaze outdoors. When choosing a destination for your holiday, you can therefore consider whether you would prefer to focus on history and crafts or on outdoor activities and scenery.
Castle and Local History Museum
Burgthann Castle was built in the 12th century on Göckelsberg in Burgthann by the Reichsministerialen, the knights of Thann. The main castle measures 65 by 41 metres and includes an east wing and a south wing. In its centre rises the 35-metre-high castle tower. These dimensions give the complex a distinct spatial form: the wings and tower are the main elements of the main castle.
The local history museum is located in the castle. It shows how people in the past lived, went to school and endured times of hardship. The craft workshops complement this glimpse into everyday life with a shoemaker’s shop, a tailor’s shop and a small barber-surgeon’s room. On display there is the set of instruments used by the last barber-surgeon in Burgthann-Oberferrieden. Anyone interested in life stories and traditional professions will find different points of interest here than on a tour that focuses primarily on the castle’s architecture.
Hiking trails and landscape
The 85.7-kilometre Fränkischer Dünenweg circular trail passes through Burgthann. The length of the entire loop is a useful guide when planning your day. Another route, Trail No. 050, runs from Altdorf station via Prackenfels, Grünsberg and Burgthann to Ochenbruck-Süd. The sequence of places named can serve as a guide to the route. The two trails therefore offer different scales for travel planning: a long circular trail and a route with set stops.
The Schwarzach Valley also shapes the landscape within the municipality: deciduous and mixed forests, flowering meadows and the valley floodplains crossed by the gently flowing Schwarzach are all part of its scenery. Along the Ludwig-Donau-Main Canal, also known in Burgthann and the surrounding area as “Der Alte Kanal” (“The Old Canal”), the towpaths are used for hiking, jogging, Nordic walking and cycling. The canal is considered a relic of the industrial era here and an important part of local recreation. Nature and cultural interests thus offer different themes for a stay in the municipality.
Church fairs and events
The Burgthanner Kärwa usually begins on the second-to-last weekend in June, opening the local church fair season. The church fair traditions in Burgthann and the districts of Grub, Schwarzenbach, Oberferrieden, Ezelsdorf, Unterferrieden and Mimberg include live music and regional specialities. The tradition also includes bringing in and raising the church fair tree, followed by dancing around it.
The Eppelein Festival is also held at the castle every three years. The Burgserenade takes place in the castle courtyard every two years and is organised by the Burgthann singing society. Jazz in der Burg is a three-day festival featuring international and regional jazz, blues and rock acts in the historic castle complex. These events offer a range of cultural highlights, from church fair customs in Burgthann and its districts to music and festivals at the castle. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Burgthann, you can plan your trip around the themes that interest you most—history, crafts, trails or local traditions.
More places
More places: Happurg, Henfenfeld, Engelthal, Feucht, Winkelhaid, Neuhaus A.D.Pegnitz, Altdorf Bei Nürnberg, Velden.
For the broader travel overview: Nürnberger Land.
