Erlangen-Höchstadt: Pond Landscapes, Culture and Excursions

Ponds, woodland paths and unusual glimpses into regional history give Erlangen-Höchstadt its distinctive character. In the Aischgrund, ponds and wetlands shape the landscape; museums, historic buildings and local traditions also offer a wide variety of discoveries. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can therefore consider whether you would like to include nature trails, family activities, culture or Franconian cuisine in your holiday plans.

Pond landscapes and paths at your own pace

Several paths around Höchstadt offer different perspectives on the Franconian cultural landscape. The marked Eisvogelweg (Kingfisher Trail) is a flat circular route of about 2.6 kilometres through Franconian pond country. The Seerosenweg (Water Lily Trail) is a mostly flat footpath of about 2.4 kilometres through the historic Gretelmark forest. Its landscape features include woodland ponds, water lilies and cattails, as well as kingfishers. Those interested in wet meadows and orchids will find a different focus on the approximately 2.2-kilometre Orchideenweg (Orchid Trail), designed as a road and walking route through a Franconian cultural landscape with reed-fringed ponds, water birds and orchids such as the marsh helleborine. The different distances and route descriptions help you choose a trail to suit your preferences.

The Kalchreuth cherry orchards can also be explored on a circular route. The three-kilometre trail features information boards about cherries, the surrounding landscape and Kalchreuth; interactive stations focus on nature. There are also routes to follow for a cycling trip: the Jakobus-Radpilgerweg (St James Cycling Pilgrimage Route) passes through Kalchreuth and Uttenreuth in the district, running through residential areas there and otherwise through woods and meadows. This is distinct from the 183-kilometre Upper Franconian Way of St James from Hof to Nuremberg, which also passes through Kalchreuth.

Protected areas are also part of the natural landscape. The Weihergebiet bei Mohrhof Bird Sanctuary is an Important Bird Area and is among the early Natura 2000 Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas. Its features include rare bird species, wetlands and orchid-rich hay meadows. North of the Höchstadt district of Bösenbechhofen, the Bösenbechhofener Weiher ponds form a chain of rainwater-fed ponds in the Gretelmark forest. An area of 23.06 hectares, including surrounding habitats, was designated a nature reserve on 15 December 2012.

Museums, local history and distinctive buildings

In Kalchreuth’s St. Andreas Church is a famous Passion altarpiece: a shrine altar with hinged wings by Michael Wolgemut, one of Dürer’s teachers. In Höchstadt, the Spix Museum tells the story of naturalist Johann Baptist Ritter von Spix and the history of the house where he was born, which now houses the museum. Interactive exhibits introduce his life; a computer-controlled, light-activated rainforest diorama displays animals and plays animal sounds. The diorama is particularly recommended for children.

Höchstadt’s history can also be read in its buildings. The castle incorporates the foundations of a 12-by-12-metre tower from the early 13th century, whose walls were three metres thick; the castle acquired its present form around 1714. The town tower is a surviving gate tower from the 14th century and part of the second of three rings of town walls or fortifications. It is considered a landmark of the town. Historic town tours and tours of the Kellerberg cellars are offered in Höchstadt and the surrounding area.

Other places tell stories of craftsmanship and community. After the Second World War, more than 2,000 musical instrument makers from the Saxon-Bohemian musical region found a new home in Bubenreuth; the town subsequently developed into a European centre for string instrument making. The Bubenreutheum in the town hall devotes an 80-square-metre permanent exhibition to music and integration. In Herzogenaurach, the town museum covers local history, industry and folk beliefs. It is housed in the former Heilig-Geist-Spital, a late-medieval half-timbered building that was extensively restored using historic techniques.

Activities and Franconian specialities

There are other destinations for outings to enjoy together: FreizeitAktiv-Paradies in Vestenbergsgreuth includes a summer toboggan run and a mini-golf course. The ice rink in Höchstadt offers public skating, speed skating and an ice disco; you can also play ice hockey there or watch the Höchstadt Alligators. Freizeitbad Atlantis in Herzogenaurach features, among other things, a wave pool, the Rocket and Roter Riese water slides, a lazy river and a children’s adventure land. Those interested in fish farming can start at the Unterer Aischgrund Fisheries Museum, housed in a historic fish house in Adelsdorf-Neuhaus, and follow its two-kilometre educational trail. Information boards cover Franconian fish species, fishing and fish farming.

The Aischgrund also has its own culinary identity: Aischgründer Spiegelkarpfen, or mirror carp, from the surrounding Himmelsteiche ponds is one of the regional specialities of Höchstadt a.d.Aisch, prepared in a variety of ways. Its season falls in the months with an “R”, from September to April; the product has a protected geographical indication. Each year, the district publishes an updated brochure listing restaurants whose owners offer carp and can choose to be included. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can weigh up your priorities, such as the pond trails, Höchstadt’s cultural attractions and excursion destinations, or Bubenreuth’s musical history.

More town pages: Kalchreuth, Marloffstein, Hemhofen, Bubenreuth, Gremsdorf, Weisendorf, Heßdorf, Herzogenaurach, Wachenroth, Uttenreuth, Röttenbach, Adelsdorf, Baiersdorf, Heroldsberg, Erlangen, Höchstadt an der Aisch and Eckental.

For the main travel overview: Bavaria.