Steigerwald: Forests, Trails and Franconian Discoveries

Hiking between forests and open landscapes

For short excursions or multi-day tours, ten trekking sites in the northern Steigerwald provide a fire pit, toilet and camping area. If you’re planning a longer hike, the Steigerwald Panorama Trail offers a 161 km route that crosses the Steigerwald. It has been certified as a Quality Trail six times in a row.

The Steigerwald Treetop Walk offers a different nature experience: It runs for 1,150 m through the broadleaf-rich Ebrach Forest. In the Southern Steigerwald, the 125 finest natural sites were selected from almost 200 suggestions across six categories. Signposts and information boards identify them for visitors. If you’re interested in nature and landscapes, you can choose between a designated hiking route, a trail through the forest and marked natural sites.

Cycling is another option: The Steigerwald has a well-developed cycling network. If you want to choose your holiday apartment based on the focus of your trip, you can first consider whether you mainly want to hike, cycle or discover landscapes and natural sites. The northern Steigerwald is the right geographical area for trekking sites; the marked natural sites are in the Southern Steigerwald.

Monastic culture and living traditions

Ebrach is an important place to learn about the history and lasting influence of the Cistercians on the landscape, culture and society. The basilica of the Cistercian abbey is considered a unique example of Early Gothic architecture in Germany. The former monastery also hosts concerts during the annual Ebrach Music Summer. In Ebrach, architecture and music offer distinct cultural points of interest.

The Holy Blood Festival in Burgwindheim is a special tradition. It takes place every year eight days after Corpus Christi and includes a festive church service followed by the Great Blood Procession through the town. Since 2026, the festival has held the title of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Bavaria. Tree-field farming and the traditional production of dried fruit in the Steigerwald are also part of the intangible cultural heritage: they were added to the nationwide register in 2018.

Discover Franconian specialities

Aischgrund mirror carp is served in numerous restaurants from September to April. If you’re travelling during this period, it’s a seasonal speciality to look out for when choosing somewhere to eat. The Aischgrund Beer Route is part of the region’s brewing tradition: eight small family breweries in the Steigerwald have joined together to form it. In Fatschenbrunn, Hutzeln (dried pears) are sold at a local farm shop and served in restaurants. These examples reflect different aspects of local food culture—from seasonal dishes to distinctive regional products.

Getting there and choosing the right location

The Steigerwald lies between Bamberg, Würzburg and Nuremberg and can be reached by train, bus or car. When choosing a holiday apartment, use the experiences you’re looking for as a guide: a trip focused mainly on hiking and nature calls for different destinations than a stay centred on monastic culture or regional cuisine. So consider which of these themes matters most to you, and factor the relevant geographical area into your search. That way, your planning starts with the landscapes and experiences you’d like to discover in the Steigerwald.

Discover more destinations: Deggendorf, Main-Spessart, Coburg, Günzburg, Upper Palatinate Forest, Forchheim, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, Bavarian Swabia.

Go to the main travel overview: Bavaria.