The Cities of Franconia
Franconia is a great place for a vacation. There are wide open natural spaces, romantic towns and historical cities, health spas and resorts. Franconia is a region for the active visitor. Physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing are all catered to, as is your interest in experiencing history. Franconia‘s towns and villages offer special cultural, architectural, and culinary highlights.
Located in the heart of Germany and all of Europe, Franconia rose to become the early center of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations. Franconia is still situated in the geographical center of Europe, North of the Danube River and with the Main River flowing right through it. Natural beauty and variety are two of the hallmarks of the region: The scenery alternates from fascinating natural landscapes to attractive vacation spots. And in the middle of the beautiful countryside, there are romantic towns - witnesses of former glory and cultural excellence.
Ansbach
Margraves. Bach. Kaspar Hauser. Ansbach has a very distinctive cultural heritage as a former royal seat, the home of Kaspar Hauser, and a town known for Franconian rococo. The city is putting its heritage to good use by, for example, showcasing modern art in public spaces on its “Sculpture Mile”. Modern art is juxtaposed to historical buildings and spaces as well as ...
Aschaffenburg
Main River. Dreaming. Renaissance. King Ludwig I. of Bavaria loved the thousand year old city because of its mild, almost Mediterranean climate. These days, it‘s the sculptures and buildings of the glorious past that are giving Aschaffenburg its charm, making it an enjoyable and relaxing vacation destination or place to live. Aschaffenburg is a historical, modern ...
Bamberg
Fascination. World Culture Heritage. Narrow alleys, cozy corners, medieval and baroque building fronts, plus a distinct romantic flair: Bamberg is a great piece of art. The city mesmerizes visitors with its largest intact old city in all of Europe and it has been a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 1993. Today, Bamberg is a lively art and cultural center with a long ...
Bayreuth
Wagner. Wilhelmine. Hermitage. The first thing that usually comes to mind when thinking about Bayreuth is Richard Wagner and the Festival Theater on the Green Hill. Yet Bayreuth‘s reputation as international art center began much earlier, in the middle of the 18th century, with the Prussian king‘s daughter, the Margrave Wilhelmine, who was the favorite sister of Frederic ...
Coburg
Royal. Seductive. Design. Samba festival – bicycle tour – magnificent castles: This is a typical combination for Coburg, where visitors are treated to a wide variety of activities. In fact, there is so much happening here, anybody will be happy. The surrounding countryside invites you to a leisurely bicycle tour. There are castles and fortresses to tour. All this is ...
Dinkelsbühl
Synthesis of the Arts. Painter's Paradise. Lifestyle. The former free city of Dinkelsbühl – located at the heart of the Romantic Road, in Romantic Franconia – is a very lucky town: The city has survived the ups and downs of German history and the chaos of the wars mostly unscathed. The townscape has been largely unchanged for over 400 years and includes imposing ...
Eichstätt
Charming. Baroque. Complex. This small town in the heart of the Altmühltal Valley Nature Park is a gem of Baroque architecture. The prince-bishops of late gave their architects free reign to build magnificent, Mediterranean structures. Today, it is students and visitors who populate the beautiful buildings. The Eichstätt baroque is impressively airy in style. The ...
Erlangen
Historical. Happy. Cosmopolian. The smallest of Bavaria‘s big cities has preserved its international flair of the days of the Huguenots to this day. Recently, Erlangen has developed as the high-tech center of the Nuremberg metropolitan area. This is due to the renowned Friederich-Alexander University, two Fraunhofer Institutes, a Max-Planck Research Center and the ...
Forchheim
Oldest. Masterpiece. Beertown. As one of Franconia’s oldest towns, Forchheim has preserved its historic architectural heritage of half-timbered houses and the fortress grounds. The Carolingians built an Imperial Palace in Forchheim of which no remnants remain today. However, the four bastions are still imposing. They were built in the 16th century, when ...
Fürth
Green. Alive. Monumental. With over 2000 monuments, Fürth has more monuments than any other town in Bavaria. A walk through town will take you through the architectural history of Fürth: From the old town which was built after the Thirty Year War with its small town character, to the big city atmosphere of Art Nouveau and Gründerzeit-era buildings. It all reflects the ...
Kulmbach
Tasty. Historical. Lovely. Kulmbach is a picturesque and splendid town that is just the right size. Thomas Gottschalk, Germany‘s most popular talk show host, claims that his sunny disposition is the result of growing up in this idyllic, margravial city. Towering above the city is the Plassenburg, Kulmbach‘s well-known symbol. The Plassenburg used to be the royalty‘s ...
Nuremberg
Imperial. Cosmopolitan. Surprising. Nuremberg has many symbols: On the culinary end, there is the “Elisenlebkuchen”, a type of ginger bread, and the “Rostbratwürstchen” bratwurst. Architecturally, there is the Imperial Castle that sits on a massive rock, overlooking the city. The city is also symbolic for the view from the distance of the castle and the bell towers ...
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Master Drink. Romanticism. Magic. Rothenburg is full of surprises: Protected by a ring of intact fortifications you will find many cozy corners and picturesque, narrow streets. You can indulge in a short course on German history or you can just sit back and enjoy the romantic ambiance. It is no coincidence that the Romantic Route and the Castle Road cross in Rothenburg. ...
Schweinfurt
Old. New. Sympathetic. Schweinfurt is a former free city with a 1200 year old history and a reputation for being progressive. So today, you can experience both here: the atmosphere of the good old days and modern flair. You will see historical buildings that used to be the homes of some of the most innovative people of their times. You will also come across the heritage of ...
Würzburg
Unique. World Heritage. Wine Heritage. The Residenz Castle in Würzburg has been dedicated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 1982. The Castle is considered to be one of the main works of Southern German baroque-era architecture and it is one of the most beautiful castles in all of Europe. But there is a lot more than that to Würzburg: The old city on the banks of ...
