Mistelgau: Circular Routes, Art and Traditions

Mistelgau combines several circular hiking trails with art along the Ehrlichbach and recurring local traditions. When planning a stay, you can compare the information by route length, starting point and time of year. This helps you decide whether hiking, art or a seasonal event should be the focus.

Circular Hiking Trails and Route Lengths

The circular hiking trail around Mistelgau is 6.5 km long and starts and ends at the Red Cross House in Mistelgau. The Hoher Berg circular hiking trail also starts and ends there and is 5.5 km long. The Kulmleite circular hiking trail is 6 km long, starting and ending at the Mistelgau municipal works depot. The 5.7 km Schobertsberg circular hiking trail starts and ends on Culmer Straße.

The lengths of these four circular trails are quite similar, but their stated start and end points differ. This gives you two specific points of comparison when narrowing down your options: the route and its starting point.

A longer option is the St. Rupert circular hiking trail, at 14 km. It passes, among other places, through Obernsees, the St. Rupert Chapel, Geislareuth, Mistelgau, Frankenhaag and Streit. An 8 km shortcut is listed as a shorter option. You can compare the longer route directly with the stated shortcut.

Art and Local Traditions

Twelve sculptures by local artist Fritz Föttinger stand along the Ehrlichbach in Obernsees. They are made from iron taken from old agricultural equipment. The number of works and the material used give the art a tangible connection to agriculture.

Recurring traditions also shape the calendar year. Every year on April 30, the Hummel Trachten Preservation Association in Mistelgau erects a maypole on Mistelgau village square, carefully crafted by hand. In Mistelgau and some of the municipality’s districts, associations set up Easter fountains during Holy Week. The municipality of Mistelgau also holds eight multi-day Kerwas from July to October, organised by local lads’ associations. The dates therefore range from a fixed spring date and Holy Week to several festivals held between July and October.

Landscape and Visitor Information

The “Zum Donnerkeil” fossil quarry is located within the municipality. Notable fossils found there include a belemnite battlefield and dinosaur remains. Fossil collecting and digging are restricted there. The Knockhütte is located on a 547 m-high White Jura hill that has been a nature reserve since 1997. Drinks and snacks are available there for up to 40 guests on Sundays and public holidays. If you plan to stop for refreshments, check local information about what is on offer before your visit.

Bayreuth as a Broader Travel Destination

As part of the broader travel destination of Bayreuth, the district also comes into view as a larger area for planning, alongside Mistelgau’s local attractions. The Franconian Switzerland, with its varied, gentle landscapes, defines the western and southern parts of Bayreuth District. The Fichtel Mountains, with their dark forests and granite boulder fields, define its northern part.

Bayreuth District has a well-maintained network of around 1,400 km of cross-country ski trails, hiking trails and cycling routes. Long-distance and themed cycle routes pass through different natural landscapes, highlighting their distinctive features and tourist attractions. Local circular cycle routes make the network denser and allow for route planning over shorter distances. This brings two different scales together: the specifically named circular trails in Mistelgau and broader route planning across the wider travel destination of Bayreuth.

Discover more destinations: Braunersberg, Fichtelberg, Pottenstein, Goldkronach, Pegnitz, Bischofsgrün, Warmensteinach, Bayreuth

Go to the broader travel overview: Bayreuth.