Bavaria

The impressive view of the Lichtenau Fortress is dominated by its mighty ramparts and corner towers. In what was formerly a fortification owned by the lords of Nuremberg, is today a branch office of the Nuremberg state archives.

The Fugger Castle in Kirchheim in Schwaben is a magnificent Renaissance building with over 500 years of history. It was built in 1578 and has been in the hands of the Fugger family ever since.

In the Franconian Open-Air Museum in Fladungen you can find out how rural communities lived their lives from the 17th century to the 1970s.

Between the two lakes of Staffelsee and Kochelsee in the village of Großweil lies the Glentleiten Open-air Museum. The Schwaiganger State Stud Farm is also close by.

The town of Vohburg an der Donau is famous for its traditional performances during the Agnes Bernauer Festival. According to legend, Agnes is said to have been imprisoned in a dungeon close to the Burgtor town gate.

With its vineyards and river landscape, the Frankens Saalestück region offers the perfect retreat from daily life. In the Terra Triassica Museum an impressive collection of fossils from the Triassic period can be found.

Fugger Castle in Babenhausen, in which the Fugger family still lives today, dominates the surrounding region. Built in 1538, visitors may tour the grounds as well as the castle interior.

From 1890 onwards, glass factories began to spring up in Neustadt an der Waldnaab leading to it becoming the European centre for lead crystal in the 20th century.

An impressive collection of expressionist and abstract paintings are on display in the Franz Marc Museum in Kochel am See. Marc was one of Bavaria’s most important artists of the 20th century.

The festival town of Feuchtwangen located on the Romantic Road tourist route is renowned for its Cloister Festival and casino. The market square is widely known as “Franconia’s Festival Hall”.

Close to the town of Windischeschenbach is the KTB Geo Centre. It operates in the world’s deepest borehole that’s more than 9000 metres deep.

The Walchensee hydroelectric power station in Kochel am See is considered to be the birthplace of Bavaria’s energy industry. Today, it’s still one of the largest power plants of its kind in Germany.

Every year, the enchanting Luisenburg Festival is held on Germany’s oldest and most beautiful natural stage in the festival town of Wunsiedel. The Katharinenberg Park is the oldest park in Bavaria that was laid out by local citizens.

The German National Museum in Nuremberg is the largest museum of German history, culture and art in the German-speaking world. Here you can embark on a journey through the centuries.

With its seven lakes, the Franconian Lake District is Franconia’s centre for water sports. But it also has many historical and cultural offers ranging from a historic hammer mill to the Wolfram von Eschenbach Museum.