City Life and Leisure Tips

Places of interest

No matter what time of year Kulmbach and its beautiful surroundings invite you to go on a voyage of discovery.

A must-see is the city's landmark - the Plassenburg Castle. The way up through the old town of Kulmbach is rewarded with a wonderful view of the whole city. You can also see our campus from there. Although it is not only the view that attracts visitors, the four museums offer fascinating information on the history of the castle, city and region. The Plassenburg also provides a perfect event location one of which is the exciting Plassenburg Open Air Festival which takes place every summer in the beautiful courtyard.

On a tour through Kulmbach, you can discover even more sights, especially in the old town. Starting at the Kulmbach Town Hall with its magnificent rococo style façade you can wander through the cobbled street and discover:

• the Kulmbach Bathhouse;
• the Red and White Towers;
• the Spital and Petri Churches; and
• the Luitpold and Zinsfeld fountains.

If you choose to venture a little further outside the town centre, you can visit the Steinenhausen Castle, a Baroque castle located where the Red and White Main Rivers meet or climb up the Rehturm.The watchtower can be reached on foot via various hiking trails.The trails take you through the beautiful beech forest and offer an opportunity to learn a little more about the nature through a variety of interesting fact boards posted along the way.

History and Culture

To learn more about the places of interest and the history of Kulmbach, you might also think of taking part in one of the city tours offered by Kulmbach Tourist Office. Among the choices are historical themed as well as spooky and night watchman tours.

Culinary delights are culture in Kulmbach. For those interested in the history of food, excursions to Kulmbach's Mönchshof museums are a good idea. It is well known beyond the state borders that Bavaria, in particular Kulmbach, is an expert in brewing beer. In the Bavarian Brewery Museum you can learn a lot about the "liquid gold" and the brewing traditions in Bavaria.

The bakery trade also has a long tradition in Kulmbach. The Bavarian Bakery Museum traces the process from grain to bread and tells you about the history of the bakers's art from past to present. In addition to the smell of malt and bread, you will also notice the scent of fine spices lingering in the air of Kulmbach. You can sharpen and indulge your sense of smell in the German Spice Museum.

Finally, if you want to broaden your horizon beyond the topic of food, a visit to the Deutsches Dampflokmuseum (German Steam Locomotive) in Neuenmarkt, is recommended. It can be easily reached by a 10 minute train journey.

Events

Even though Kulmbach appears to be a quiet town at first glance, it does offer a number of events throughout the year. Particularly well-known and popular are the Beer Week (Kulmbacher Bierwoche) as well as the Old Town Festival (Altstadtfest).

Sports and Nature

Kulmbach offers sports enthusiasts a large and rich diversity of options to choose from. Numerous hiking and cycling tours invite you to explore its impressive natural landscape.

Some of the best recreation places to enjoy the summer are the Mainaue (Kieswäsch), the Flutmulde and the White Main near Burghaig. The Kieswäsch offers many leisure activities including swimming, beach volleyball, fishing, and watersports such as windsurfing and stand up paddling. And if you get hungry, you can visit the snack bar or use the barbecue areas. In winter the surrounding flooded meadows around the Kieswäsch are frozen and provide a perfect setting for ice-skating or ice-hockey. Alternatively if it not cold enough, you can visit the ice skating centre in Kulmbach.

Our tip: Bicycle Tour to the “Mainzusammenfluss”

Only a few kilometres away from the town centre you can observe how two rivers become one.

The source of the White Main lies in the Fichtelgebirge, the source of the Red Main in Franconian Switzerland. At Steinenhausen Castle, the two rivers unite to an important river, which travels almost 600 kilometres until it flows into the Rhine, near Mainz.

The place is easily accessible by bike and simply perfect for having a little picnic with friends!

Culinary Experiences

Culinary experiences should not be overlooked in Kulmbach. Most popular are the diverse range of regional Franconian specialities served alongside the popular Kulmbach beer. Both can be found on the menu of many traditional restaurants in and around the town centre.