Weisendorf

Weisendorf combines a landscape shaped by ponds with church fair traditions, historic sites and designated running and walking routes. You can tailor your stay to a wide range of interests: pond farming, regional traditions or a marked route. The time of year may also play a role if you would like to experience one of the events held annually.

Pond Landscape and Pond Culture

A chain of ponds stretching around seven kilometres begins near the hamlet of Sintmannsbuch and extends to the town. Its scale is a striking feature of Weisendorf’s landscape. If you are interested in pond farming, the TeichKulturPark and the TeichKulturWochen introduce visitors to how it works. In the park, “Badweiher Weisendorf” is marked as panel 11.

This combination of landscape and an explained theme offers a distinct focus for your trip: instead of planning your stay mainly around an event or running route, you can explore pond farming.

Church Fairs and Local Customs

Church fairs are held in Weisendorf and its districts between May and October. Traditional customs include raising the Kerwa trees and the “Betzentanz” (ribbon dance). The church fair season therefore extends over several months rather than being limited to a single date. If you are planning your trip around regional traditions, this period is a useful guide.

The Weisendorf local history association holds a museum church fair every year on the first Sunday in May and a St John’s bonfire every year in June. These two events supplement the broader church fair season with specific recurring occasions. For planning purposes, you can distinguish between a fixed Sunday in May, an event in June and the church fairs held between May and October.

Castles and Historical Traces

Neuenbürg Castle was first documented in 1165 under the name “Nuvenburg”. In 1388, Nuremberg troops captured the castle after a long siege and burned it down. The two dates mark different stages: the first written record and a later violent event. If you are interested in historic sites and the names recorded for them, Neuenbürg Castle offers a specific point of interest.

Weisendorf Castle also has a distinctive history: from 1957 to 2023, it housed the German branch of the “Notre-Dame de Vie” Institute (“Our Lady of Life”). For the institute’s German members, the castle was a place of quiet and fellowship, relaxation and prayer, and spiritual and physical renewal.

Walking and Hiking Routes

The second section of the 100-Weiher-Weg (100 Ponds Trail) runs from Weisendorf to Gremsdorf. It is 11.2 kilometres long and takes about 3.5 hours. The distance and approximate duration give you concrete figures for planning your day, without implying anything about the level of difficulty. You can consider this section as a standalone option alongside the town’s cultural and historical attractions.

The Hochstraßenlauf follows a section of the medieval trade route from Nuremberg to Frankfurt through Weisendorf Forest. It includes a walking route and a 9.7-kilometre main race. The Hochstraßenlauf has been documented in Weisendorf since 1985. If you would like to include a walking route or a race in your trip, these details clearly differ from those for the 100-Weiher-Weg: for that trail, the section length and approximate duration are given, while here a walking route and the main race distance are specified.

The Marienkapelle in Reuth

The Marienkapelle in Reuth was solemnly consecrated on 1 August 1999 by H. H. Domkapitular Klemens Fink. Since the consecration, a Holy Mass has been held there at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month.

More pages about local towns: Hemhofen, Erlangen, Wachenroth, Heßdorf, Herzogenaurach, Uttenreuth, Adelsdorf and Baiersdorf.

For the broader travel overview: Erlangen-Höchstadt.