Pottenstein between caves, rocks and urban history
Accommodation in Pottenstein
Pottenstein combines a castle more than 1,000 years old, a historic old town and impressive cave experiences with active excursion destinations. The surrounding area is characterised by rock faces and towers of Franconian dolomite, which shape the landscape of Franconian Switzerland. During your stay, you can choose between hikes, cave visits, water-based activities and options for an active day out.
File:Teufelshöhle Pottenstein Felsenausgang 03.jpg
Photo: Wolf Hoehn via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Castle, old town and cave world
Pottenstein Castle is a landmark of the town. It was built on a massive dolomite rock and houses a castle museum. In the historic old town, the houses are located within the town walls, and Franconian half-timbered houses shape its appearance. The castle and old town give the place its own historic character, while the surrounding rocks show another side of Pottenstein.
At Pottenstein’s Devil’s Cave, you’ll find stalactite formations and a complete cave bear skeleton. The cave is about 3,000 metres long; approximately half of it is open to the public as part of a guided tour. A tour lasts 45 to 60 minutes. The cave is well developed and easy to walk through, but it does have some steps. Take these steps into account when deciding whether the visit is suitable for your outing.
From April to September, a special tour called “Devil’s Cave Exclusive” takes place at 5 p.m. on the last Friday of each month. The programme includes explanations of the cave’s geology. If you are particularly interested in how the cave formed and its physical characteristics, you can plan this date as a separate visit option.
Hikes of varying lengths
The official “Valley and Heights Tour” day hike starts and ends in Pottenstein. The approximately 16-kilometre route passes Schöngrundsee, Devil’s Cave, Schüttersmühle, Klumpertal, Kühlenfels, Kirchenbirkig and Weidenloh; it takes about four hours. The route’s stops and stated distance make it easy to fit the hike into your day’s plans.
A longer alternative is the official “To the Roof of Franconian Switzerland” hike. This route also starts and ends in Pottenstein, but passes through Haselbrunn, Hohenmirsberg, Püttlach, Oberhauenstein and the Upper Püttlach Valley. The approximately 18-kilometre hike is listed as taking about five and a half hours. When choosing a suitable hike, compare the two routes mainly by distance, duration and the places mentioned for each.
Water and other excursion ideas
You can go pedal boating on Schöngrundsee in the Weihersbach Valley. Swimming and fishing are not permitted there. There is a free car park right by the lake. This information can help you assess the lake as an excursion destination and distinguish the activities available there from those that are not permitted.
Pottenstein Rock Swimming Pool is one of the oldest outdoor swimming pools in Germany and has a swimming area and an idyllic beer garden. For a different kind of outing, Pottenstein Adventure Rock offers two toboggan runs: the 1,160-metre-long Frankenrodel, which runs in a stainless-steel trough, and the Frankenbob, which is ready to go in all weather. Pottenstein therefore offers a choice of nature and cultural destinations as well as a range of leisure activities.
Discover more places
If you’d like to discover more places: Mehlmeisel, Hollfeld, Bischofsgrün, Heinersreuth, Betzenstein, Ahorntal, Bad Berneck Im Fichtelgebirge, Mistelgau.
For the overview of the wider region: Bayreuth.
