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While in the area, Franken or ...?

Posted by (Salt Lake City) on

Really popular tourist destinations are usually well known for good cause, they are well worth seeing. A problem to me is spending too much of my vacation traveling too much to see too few of these "gems". I like to keep my travel time to a minimum and spend more time afoot experiencing an area. I supposed I developed that habit living two army tours in Germany.

I really like the posts by Ms. Jo of Frankfurt as she points out so many possibilities near Frankfurt. I still plan to some day make a small circle of stops around Frankfurt just to get a feel for the area. I have googled and bookmarked many of the possibilities.

Many areas of Germany have a wealth of towns worth visiting. I like Franken with Würzburg, Aschaffenburg, Nürnberg, Bamberg, Rothenburg, Bad Windsheim, etc. Dating back to my army days, I use the "ADAC StraßenAtlas" to find places they think are sehenswert (worth seeing). It is a street atlas but it also has rail routes indicated. I am not a day tripper as I find it better to stay overnight in a place and experience it. I recently added a new destination to my overnight stop list: Kulmbach. It is not a spectacular "tourist destination" but what a nice overnight to see the castle (Renaissance court yard and tin figure museum) and roam its streets with attractive old buildings. I first heard its name as a famous beer brewing center near Nürnberg, when I was stationed there.

http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Other-3/Kulmbach/49030764_cFZgvh

Anyone else have overnight recommendations in Franken or an area on which they like to focus?

Posted by
32745 posts

Where do you mean by "Franken"? It is not a term I am familiar with, and it is not one of the Laender.

Posted by
12040 posts

Franken is German for Franconia... roughly, most of northern Bavaria, minus the Oberpfalz and Coburg regions.

My Franconian/Frankisch recommendation: Frankische Schweiz... "Franconinan Switzerland. Like the other regions of Germany that are named "Switzerland", it looks nothing like the real Switzerland, but still very scenic. Lots of weathered rock formations, scenic old towns and castles. It's a great region for hiking and cayaking.

And although not part of Franconia historically (but now joined to the modern administrative district of Upper Franconia), Coburg is a great place for a daytrip. Particularly for the castle, Veste Coburg, which is in my opinion, Germany's best.

Posted by
20085 posts

I have an old (1999) "Strassen & Reisen" Atlas which indicates "picturesque towns" with a red box around the town name. In Nordfranken, (far northern Bavaria) it shows, besides the ones already mentioned, the following. Gerolzhofen, Hasfurt, Koenigsberg, Sesslach, Coburg, Staffelstein, Schesslitz, Thurnau, Bad Neustadt, Hammelburg, Karlstadt, Lohr. Some, like Thurnau, are extremely small. I'll be there in the end of July and will have time to check a few out.

Posted by
32745 posts

Just curious - is that the same Hammelburg where Stalag 13 was near?

Posted by
1481 posts

Stephen. I was planning to go to Kronach last year but they had closed the castle for a multi-year restoration. I hope to add it in the future.

Tom. I was going to day trip Coburg (on your recommendation) this year but we decided to stop over in Bayreuth on our way to Kulmbach, which limited our time. Maybe next year, especially if nearby Kronach reopens its castle. I have looked at Frankische Schweiz, we passed through a corner of it on the way to Kulmbach. I am not sure how well it can be visited by train. Forchheim is considered the gateway town but I wonder if that would give us a feel for it.

Sam. I had a couple hours and lunch in Karlstadt. Nice small town. If you go to Karlstadt, consider a stop in Veitshöchheim, the summer residence of the archbishop of Würzburg. The Rococo Gardens were even beautiful in winter. Let me know if you think any of the towns is worth an overnight. I will do an occasional day trip but prefer an overnight.

Posted by
1481 posts

Russ. I have been to Ochsenfurt and Marktbreit, and enjoyed them. I considered Iphofen this year but my wife really wanted to visit the Fränkische Freilandmuseum in Bad Windsheim. I think I would have preferred Iphofen. Maybe next time.

Posted by
14507 posts

Hi,

"Many areas of Germany have a wealth of towns worth visiting." How very true...sehenswert (as you say) and reisewert. Your statement applies to most of the country, from Franken to Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein to the Black Forest, etc. My visits to the Franken area is very limited, only visited Bad Windsheim, which I recommend along with Ansbach and Kulmbach for its specialised history museum.

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