Discover Kulmbach: Hiking Trails, Castles and Museums

The nature trail on Kulmbach’s Rehberg is about four kilometres long and passes 21 educational stations. If you’re planning a longer route, the Frankenwaldsteigla “Rehbergweg” offers an 11-kilometre alternative: it leads from Plassenburg Castle to the Rehberg, through Kulmbach’s old town and back to the starting point. The two routes therefore differ mainly in length and course.

Hiking and getting out and about

The Kulmbach region offers hiking, cycling and motorcycling tours across terrain ranging from gently rolling to challenging. Further hiking options can be found in towns across the region: an 11-kilometre circular trail is listed between Thurnau and Kasendorf. In Wonsees, the 13.5-kilometre Große-Wonsees-Erlebnisrunde is recommended. The Rotmainauen hiking trail runs from the former State Garden Show grounds in Bayreuth via Heinersreuth and Neudrossenfeld to Langenstadt. This gives you a choice between a circular route and a trail with named intermediate stops.

There is also a specific option for two wheels: the “Around Kulmbach” motorcycle tour starts and ends in Kulmbach and is just over 200 kilometres long. It’s worth checking current route conditions before setting out. The hiking trails mentioned range from the nature trail, at about four kilometres, to the 13.5-kilometre Große-Wonsees-Erlebnisrunde.

Castles, gardens and museums

Plassenburg Castle houses the German Tin Figure Museum. Its collection includes more than 300,000 individual figures arranged in around 150 dioramas. The Bavarian Brewery Museum focuses on something different: its more than 3,000 square metres explore the history and craft of brewing beer. A visit ends with a taste from the Glass Museum Brewery.

Zwernitz Castle in Wonsees was first mentioned in an official document in 1156 as the ancestral seat of the Walpoten family. You can climb its tower for sweeping views over the Franconian Switzerland Nature Park. The Sanspareil Rock Garden adjoins the castle directly. Its Rock Theatre in the grove, the Oriental Building and the Kitchen Building have all been preserved to this day. The castle and garden offer different reasons to visit: historic architecture and the surviving features of the garden.

In Neuenmarkt, the German Steam Locomotive Museum preserves more than 30 steam locomotives in a historic railway setting that has developed over time. In Limmersdorf, the open-air exhibition on dancing lime trees and the customs associated with them offers another perspective on regional culture, documenting traditions and customs surrounding these trees. Limmersdorf is part of the municipality of Thurnau.

Landscape and travel planning

Near Presseck lies the Steinach Gorge, an approximately 300-metre-long section of a natural monument between Neumühle and the former Waffenhammer. Together with the hiking trails and motorcycle route, it illustrates the range of options in the Kulmbach region: from individual stretches of nature to longer tours passing through several named places.

For 2026, a public transport connection is listed from Kulmbach via Thurnau, Sanspareil and Wonsees, continuing to Hollfeld and Ebermannstadt. Check the current timetable before travelling. Reviewing the route and timetable will help you plan your day accordingly.

Discover more destinations: Kulmbach, Mainleus, Trebgast, Thurnau, Wirsberg, Presseck, Marktschorgast, Grafengehaig, Neudrossenfeld, Marktleugast, Himmelkron, Stadtsteinach, Untersteinach, Neuenmarkt, Wonsees, Kasendorf.

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