The famous Franconian wine, wonderful hiking opportunities, historic cities and pure nature make Franconia a multifaceted holiday destination in Germany. Cities such as Nuremberg or Bamberg invite you to take a city trip and the different Franconian areas have the right travel landscape for every taste.
Franconia for city lovers
Nuremberg
For a city trip, it doesn’t always have to be the giant metropolises! Holidaymakers who attach great importance to cultural, architectural and culinary offerings are in good hands in the Franconian cities. Nuremberg is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of cities in Franconia. Especially the medieval architecture of the old town with the magnificent imperial castle characterizes the cityscape.
The city has an excellent reputation as a trade fair city and is on everyone’s lips even outside Germany due to its famous Nuremberg Christmas market and tasty bratwurst. Albrecht Dürer already enjoyed the latter. In addition to visiting the many museums, a walk through the Tiergarten is also worthwhile. In idyllic surroundings, visitors can experience sea lions and dolphins in the dolphin lagoon or enjoy the tropical atmosphere in the manatee house.
Würzburg
In Würzburg, the Residenz is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But not only that. It is also one of the most important castles in Europe. A mixture of culture, architecture and baroque gives the old city on the Main a special charm and pure joie de vivre. Würzburg’s “Stein” or the vineyards create a picturesque picture that attracts not only wine lovers.
Bamberg
Romantics are drawn to Bamberg. Here, holidaymakers stroll through winding alleys past baroque and medieval facades or stroll through small specialist and antique shops in the old town. The famous Bamberg Symphony Orchestra shapes the culture just as much as a large number of cabaret stages or the shadow theatre. In the traditional beer city, a freshly tapped beer is of course not to be missed.
Another Franconian city that city lovers should visit is Bayreuth. The Festspielhaus on the green hill is just as much a part of the international cultural city as the Richard Wagner Museum or the Margravial Opera House.
Popular areas for a holiday in Franconia
Many different areas create a varied travel landscape for Franconian holidays. Franconian Switzerland ranks high on the popularity scale. Travel writers from the 19th century gave the area its current name, as they felt reminded of Switzerland by the rocks, valleys and mountains. Franconian Switzerland is one of the oldest holiday regions in Germany and is located between Bayreuth, Bamberg and Nuremberg. More than 30 castles and medieval castles can be discovered here. In addition, a large nature park and more than 1000 caves await. The leisure activities here are also varied and include excursions to climbing parks, themed hikes or canoe tours.
Gentle tourism, forests, friendly villages or even dark moors characterize the Rhön. The volcanic low mountain range of the Rhön is criss-crossed by an extensive network of hiking trails. The paths of the “border triangle” (Thuringia, Hesse, Franconia) lead up to the Kreuzberg or the “Black Moor”. Visitors have a fantastic view from the Wasserkuppe. This is the highest mountain in the Rhön.
The Fichtel Mountains are the perfect holiday area for athletes. It is located in the northeast of Bavaria and rises to up to 1000 meters. In Germany , the Fichtel Mountains are one of the snowiest landscapes. At the appropriate time of year, there are the best conditions for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or skiing. But there are also numerous opportunities for sporting activity outside the winter season. A winch run in the zipline park on the southern slope of the Ochsenkopf leads rapidly down into the valley. Nature can be explored on wonderful cycling and hiking trails. Another focus is on health and wellness. In Bad Berneck, for example, the focus is on Kneipp and in Bad Alexandersbad, guests can have a good time in the smallest Bavarian spa.
Holiday guests with a preference for water should consider the Franconian Lake District for a stay. Its seven lakes make it the centre of Franconian water sports and a perfect holiday destination for families. Here you can sail, swim, dive or cast a rod. Excursion boats also sail at the Großer Brombachsee and the Altmühlsee, with which the landscape can be enjoyed from the water. Away from the water, there are of course also hiking and walking opportunities.
Franconia culinary
Nuremberg bratwurst and Franconian wine are just two of many Franconian specialties. If you love culinary delights, you will not be disappointed on a holiday in Franconia.
For the famous bratwurst, there has been a regulation since the Middle Ages, which ensures consistent quality. The grilled sausages grilled over beech logs were added to the register of culinary specialities protected by the EU in 2003.
Since meat dishes are very important in Franconian cuisine, not only the sausages are a specialty. For example, the Schäufele (shoulder blade of the pig) is also very well-known. It is prepared whole with fat rind and bone in the oven. Served with potato dumplings, gravy and red cabbage, it is an absolute treat for the palate.
At least as popular as the Nuremberg grilled sausage is the Franconian Sauerbraten. The roast, marinated and then braised for several days, is also served with dumplings and red cabbage.
Franconia is known for the breeding of char, trout and carp. These are also not missing from any good menu and are served baked.
The Franconian also has no objection to a hearty snack. Such a meal includes homemade sausage specialties, smoked ham, bread and plucked meat. Plucked is comparable to Bavarian Obazda.
In addition to the hearty delights, there are of course also Franconian desserts to enjoy. The Kissinger is a croissant made of butter pastry dough, which is covered with cooked icing and consists of a jam or hazelnut filling on the inside. By the way, the sweet particle comes from the district of Bad Kissingen.
Fruit varieties from orchards are also used in the sweet cuisine. They are used to make delicacies such as apple mustard or apple bratwurst.
About 80% of the well-known Franconian wine is white wine. Franconian wines have a high mineral content and taste particularly spicy. One of the typical Franconian wines is Silvaner.
In the end, it remains to be said: A holiday in Franconia is a good choice in terms of landscape and culture as well as culinary.
