Marktgraitz: Church Architecture, Mills and Paths

Church architecture, river courses and historic features give Marktgraitz a range of points of interest for a stay. There are also routes that can be understood through specific streets and destinations.

Church history across several construction phases

The church in Marktgraitz combines Romanesque and Gothic elements: it had a Romanesque tower and portal, as well as a Gothic choir. The nave was raised in 1723. The nave is the lengthwise main space of a church, so its raising was a clearly dated alteration to the building.

A church fire later marked a turning point. After the fire of 1958, only the portal wall and choir of the old church were incorporated into the new building. The newly built church was consecrated in 1959 by Archbishop Dr. Josef Schneider. The sequence of older architectural elements, fire and new construction makes the different phases of Marktgraitz’s church history tangible.

Historic features in the townscape

The court lime tree and a house with a corner column stand in the market square; there are also two school buildings there. The Treubelhaus on Lettenreuther Straße is a half-timbered house with a corner column. The gatehouse is on Schulstraße, and a statue of St. John stands on Johannesstraße. The Schneeberg Chapel lies in the direction of Lettenreuth. The different street and square references help distinguish the buildings and historic features by location.

The Graatzer Berg is also part of the town’s history: it is the site of a prehistoric section fortification. The term refers to a fortification that encloses part of an area. The Graatzer Berglein is a distinct landscape feature and offers a magnificent panoramic view.

Rivers, mills and paths

The Steinach rises north of Marktgraitz in the foothills of the Thuringian Mountains. At the confluence of the Steinach and Rodach in Marktgraitz, there is a sawmill with a mill wheel; the Old Mill stands at the Steinach bridge. The two mills are therefore located at different points. Together with the panoramic view from the Graatzer Berglein, they offer further points of reference for understanding the town’s rivers and landscape.

A hiking trail passes the Marktgraitz market square, goes downhill to the main road and climbs up the Graatzer Berg on the opposite side. The Three Rivers Trail Rodach-Steinach-Main is about 24.8 kilometres long and can be covered on foot or by bicycle. These details offer different ways to find your bearings: the hiking trail is described in terms of the market square, main road and Graatzer Berg, while the Three Rivers Trail is described by its approximate distance and possible modes of travel.

Lichtenfels as a wider travel destination

The wider travel destination of Lichtenfels offers additional cultural and landscape-related points of interest. The old town has retained its typical Franconian character. The Bamberg Gate and Kronach Gate have been preserved, and parts of the old town wall are still visible. The basket market in Lichtenfels takes place every year on the third weekend in September. If you would like to plan your stay around this weekend, check the dates for the relevant year.

The 14-kilometre Flechtkultur Trail connects Lichtenfels and Michelau along scenic paths through the Main floodplains. Its 23 information boards cover the history and traditions of basket-making, the basket industry and basket trading in the Upper Main region. Near Oberwallenstadt, trail features include a willow maze for children, a willow shell in the river bathing area, a woven tipi at Oberwallenstadt’s Ortswiesensee and other woven art installations. Lichtenfels therefore offers additional themes related to basket weaving and the landscape, while Marktgraitz is described through its own church and town history.

The Lichtenfels City Palace houses municipal collections on the history of beer and brewing, the railway and the basket trade. As exhibits may change, it is worth checking the latest information before visiting.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Marktzeuln, Burgkunstadt, Michelau in Upper Franconia, Bad Staffelstein, Lichtenfels, Hochstadt am Main, Ebensfeld, Hochstadt-Marktzeuln

Back to the wider travel overview: Lichtenfels.