Discover Wilhelmsthal
Accommodation in Wilhelmsthal
The picturesque centre of Wilhelmsthal is reminiscent of a mountain village. The area around the town offers everything from hiking trails of varying difficulty to churches and festivals in the municipality. The view from the summit of Eichsberg also opens up a sweeping panorama: you can see the Fichtel Mountains, Staffelberg, the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Veste Coburg and the southern Thuringian Forest.
Hikes of varying difficulty
Three described hikes give you specific options for planning your day. The Schieferbruch-Weg KC 81 is an easy 6.3 km circular hike. It runs from Wilhelmsthal via the former slate quarry to Hesselbach and back. The stated duration is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes; the ascent and descent each involve 262 metres of elevation gain.
The southern route of the Floßherren-Weg runs for 11.1 km from Wilhelmsthal to Glosberg. The stated duration is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, with 413 metres of elevation gain on the ascent and 361 metres on the descent. It is rated as moderate. If you are looking for a longer route rated as difficult, consider the Grümpel-Floßteich-Weg KC 82: at 22.8 km, it runs from the Grümpeltal via Hubertushöhe and past the water and observation tower in Birnbaum, before returning to Wilhelmsthal. The duration is approximately 6 hours; the ascent and descent each involve 443 metres of elevation gain. The distance, difficulty rating and elevation gain make the differences between the three routes easy to compare.
The idyllic Grümpeltal is a worthwhile destination for a day trip. A popular cycle route for cyclists runs from the district town of Kronach to Wilhelmsthal. A separate mountain bike trail runs through the municipality between the districts of Lahm and Effelter. This lets you consider hiking and cycling separately when choosing the pace of your holiday.
Churches, mills and festivals
In Wilhelmsthal, St. Joseph’s Parish Church is well worth a visit for its warm atmosphere, modern coloured windows in the new chancel and Metzler organ. The slate-roofed Marienkapelle chapel at Hohe Kreuz was built in 1998 by eight siblings in memory of their parents and consecrated on 11 July 1998. Its origins and precise date of consecration give the site a personal story.
Other districts of the municipality also have historic places to visit. The branch church of St. Peter and Paul in Effelter was built around 1400 and rebuilt after the great fire of 1807. In Steinberg, the historic castle church of Alt Pankratius is the surviving remnant of the former castle complex on Schlossberg. Effelter is also home to a former water-powered sawmill, now converted into a youth education centre and located in the Dobertal nature reserve. These diverse places bring together religious architectural history, a former milling function and landscape conservation within the municipality.
The annual Wilhelmsthal Heimatfest takes place on the first Sunday in August. Since 2002, the municipality has celebrated the Apfelfest every two years at the historic Effelter Mill in the district of Effelter; an apple queen is crowned as part of the festivities. The two festivals differ in both their frequency and their setting. If you would like to include traditions and historic places in your trip, these offer specific events and destinations beyond the hiking trails.
Discover more places
For further travel planning, you can also find Stockheim in Upper Franconia, Nordhalben, Pressig, Mitwitz, Tettau, Weißenbrunn, Steinbach am Wald and Ludwigsstadt.
For the overview of the wider area: Kronach.
