Discover Burgthann
Accommodation in Burgthann
Burgthann brings together the history of its castle, a local history museum, trails through the municipality and recurring festivals. This gives you a choice of different focuses for your stay: the history of the buildings and everyday life in the past, the landscape and its trails, or an event on the local festival calendar.
Burgthann Castle and the Local History Museum
Burgthann Castle was built in the 12th century by the imperial ministeriales, the Knights of Thann, on the Göckelsberg in Burgthann. The main castle measures 65 by 41 metres and includes an east wing and a south wing. At its centre rises the 35-metre-high castle tower. These dimensions and named structural features give a concrete impression of the complex, without requiring its history to be considered separately from the everyday life that came later.
The local history museum is housed in the castle. It shows how people lived, went to school and endured times of hardship in the past. The focus is therefore on everyday experiences: living, learning and coping with difficult times. The craft workshops add to this insight with a shoemaker’s workshop, a tailor’s workshop and a barber-surgeon’s room. The tools of the last barber-surgeon of Burgthann-Oberferrieden are also on display there. Architectural history and insights into past ways of life and work thus come together in one place.
Trails and landscape in Burgthann
Two different details are useful when choosing hiking routes. The Franconian Dune Trail is an 85.7-kilometre circular route that passes through Burgthann. Route No. 050 is described by a sequence of places: it runs from Altdorf station via Prackenfels, GrĂĽnsberg and Burgthann to Ochenbruck-SĂĽd. The choice is therefore less about comparing two routes of equal length than about choosing between a designated circular trail and a route with named stops.
The landscape in the municipality also offers a distinctive point of reference: the Schwarzach Valley brings together deciduous and mixed forests, flowering meadows and floodplain meadows, through which the gently flowing Schwarzach winds. Along the Ludwig-Danube-Main Canal, also known locally in Burgthann and the surrounding area as “The Old Canal,” towpaths are used for hiking, jogging, Nordic walking and cycling. In the surrounding area, the canal is a romantic relic of the industrialisation era and an important part of local recreation. The trails and landscape features described here thus offer a different focus from the castle and museum.
Festivals and dates
The castle is also the venue for recurring cultural events. The Eppelein Festival takes place at Burgthann Castle every three years; individual dates vary. The Burgserenade is held in the castle courtyard every two years, organised by the Burgthann Singing Society. Both events follow a regular schedule, but at different intervals. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these dates, check the relevant event date in advance.
Jazz in the Castle is a three-day festival held in the historic castle complex. The programme features international and regional acts in jazz, blues and rock; check the current programme separately. The Kirchweih festival tradition also spans several places: it includes Burgthann, as well as Grub, Schwarzenbach, Oberferrieden, Ezelsdorf, Unterferrieden and Mimberg. Festivities include live music, regional specialities, bringing in and raising the Kirchweih tree, followed by the traditional dancing around it. Burgthann’s Kärwa usually begins on the penultimate weekend in June and opens the local Kirchweih season. As exact dates vary, it is worth checking the dates for the year of your trip.
Discover more destinations: Velden, Leinburg, Lauf An Der Pegnitz, Schnaittach, Winkelhaid, Kirchensittenbach, Henfenfeld, Schwaig Bei NĂĽrnberg
For the higher-level travel overview: NĂĽrnberger Land.
