Küps: Castles, Porcelain and History
Accommodation in Küps
Küps combines a rich castle history with a porcelain tradition that has shaped the town for over 190 years. If you’re looking for a cultural focus for your holiday, you’ll find a variety of points of interest here: historic castles, a circular hiking trail to castles and their remains, and the history of porcelain production. The location of some of the buildings also tells a story about the landscape of the Rodach Valley. Which of these aspects you’d like to explore in more depth can shape the character of your trip to Küps.
Castles with a History of Their Own
The Middle or Old Castle is the oldest castle in Küps. It was the first residence of the earliest local nobility, Wolfram von Chubece. Its position on an open rocky plateau jutting out towards the Rodach is part of its history, as is the moat that protected it on the landward side. The former entrance could only be reached via a drawbridge. In 1746/47, this was replaced by a stone arched bridge bearing a coat of arms. These details of its history and architecture make the Old Castle a particularly vivid subject for anyone interested in the town’s historic character.
The Rear or New Castle was built in its present form in 1730 by Sigmund Karl von Redwitz. It stands in the centre of Küps, above the Rodach Valley. Another striking building is the Upper Castle: its main building was constructed in its present style around 1615; its remarkable half-timbered framework with runic motifs is a defining feature. The histories of the three castles cannot be reduced to a single period: they span the first residence of the local nobility, architectural changes to the Old Castle, and the respective recorded construction dates of the other buildings.
Explore Castle History on Foot
The circular castle trail in Küps is 17.5 kilometres long and passes eight castles and their remains. This distance gives you a concrete reference point for planning your day. The castles along the trail are privately owned, so their interiors cannot be visited. The circular trail is therefore mainly a way to take in the history of the castles along a longer route, not a promise of interior visits. If you’d rather focus your time in Küps on individual historical subjects, the architectural history and distinctive features of the castles can also guide your interests independently of the full hiking route.
Porcelain as Part of the Town’s History
Alongside its castles, porcelain is one of Küps’s defining themes. Porcelain production has influenced the town for over 190 years. The continuing tradition includes Lindner Porzellan, established in 1932, and the Stumpf porcelain factory, which specialises in products for clubs and associations. This subject encompasses both a long local history and a specific example of a business’s specialisation. The Porcelain Route also gives this theme a wider geographical setting: it runs via Bayreuth and Bamberg to Küps and Kronach, then continues via Selb and Weiden in der Oberpfalz to Karlovy Vary and Ostrov in the Czech Republic.
Markets Around the Town Hall
Traditional markets are held several times a year around the town hall in Küps. As no specific dates are given, this is mainly another aspect of local life rather than a particular event date for planning your trip. Together with the castle histories and porcelain tradition, it shows that there’s more than one way to discover Küps. When choosing your holiday apartment, consider whether you’d like to focus your trip mainly on the historic buildings, the hike or the history of porcelain; this will help you get to know the town according to your own interests.
More local pages: Stockheim in Upper Franconia, Teuschnitz, Tettau, Steinwiesen, Steinbach am Wald, Ludwigsstadt, Nordhalben, Weißenbrunn.
Back to the main travel overview: Kronach.
