Stadtsteinach: History and Hiking Trails
Accommodation in Stadtsteinach
In Stadtsteinach, impressive buildings meet trails leading out into the surrounding countryside. The parish church of St. Michael stands at the highest point of the town hill; its 56-metre-high west tower is visible from far away and is considered a landmark of the town. The Marterl Circular Hiking Trail also starts here. This makes it possible to combine local history with the question of which hikes you would like to include in your vacation.
Churches and Memorial Sites
The history of the parish church extends beyond its present building: after the disastrous fire of 1903, it was completely rebuilt in 1904 and 1905. At the southern end of the town hill, just outside the town wall, stands the Marienkapelle (Chapel of St. Mary). It is considered Stadtsteinach’s oldest building and probably one of the oldest churches in all of northern Bavaria. Both sites give a tour of the town a historical focus without requiring you to follow a specific route.
The Christophorus Fountain stands in the market square. It depicts Saint Christopher with the Christ Child on his right shoulder. The Heiß-Schnabrich Memorial Trail offers another way to explore the town’s history: it commemorates Alfred Andreas Heiß from Triebenreuth and Michael Schnabrich, who was born in Stadtsteinach. Both are described as figures whose lives were shaped by the Nazi era; Heiß is explicitly identified as a victim of National Socialism.
Hiking in and Around Stadtsteinach
The network of circular hiking trails around Stadtsteinach is about 100 kilometres long and is maintained and signposted by the Stadtsteinach branch of the Frankenwaldverein. The town is a state-recognised health resort; its local circular hiking trail network is well signposted and maintained. The Marterl Circular Hiking Trail starts at the parish church of St. Michael. If you are looking for a holiday apartment as a base for hikes, you might consider whether local history and nearby trails should both be part of your planned vacation.
Nearby, the Steinachtal Geopath leads to Römersreuther Berg, where outcrops of the “Thuringian” Devonian can be seen, and returns to Oberhammer via the Steinach rocks. Grünbürg is another historical site in the surrounding area: it sits atop a 521-metre-high hill on the Franconian Line. A refuge castle probably stood there in the 9th or 10th century; its ramparts, ditches and gates are still visible below the summit.
Further afield in the region, the Mill Trail takes in eleven mills over a distance of more than 18 kilometres; none are operational today. The circular hiking trail was inaugurated in 1978. The mills were probably built in the 11th and 12th centuries and served as grain mills and sawmills, hammer mills and, later, paper mills. These traces of the past offer a different focus from the town’s buildings and the geological outcrops along the Geopath.
A Museum of Local and Natural History
The Stadtsteinach Local History Museum has 250 square metres of exhibition space spread across 13 rooms. Its displays include tools used in traditional crafts, exhibits relating to agriculture and forestry, machinery, artefacts of popular religious devotion, and items connected with the town’s history as well as its churches and schools. There is also a natural history collection. The museum is temporarily closed while its exhibits are being inventoried; check its current admission status before visiting.
When choosing your holiday apartment, it may help to first decide what you would like to focus on: would you like churches and town history to take centre stage, or would you prefer to explore hiking trails and nature? Stadtsteinach offers a range of points of interest, from the fountain in the market square to the chapel and museum, as well as the trails described here.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Schwand, Thurnau, Grafengehaig, Wirsberg, Untersteinach, Himmelkron, Mainleus, Neudrossenfeld.
Go to the main travel overview: Kulmbach.
