Ever heard of Forchheim? If not, then you should remember the name of this city – especially if you love Half-timbered like we do. There are a lot of them in Forchheim.
Forchheim combines picturesque buildings, cobbled streets and great excursion possibilities. And on top of that there is a good portion of deceleration and cosiness – an ideal destination for a short holiday.
If you are planning a trip through Franconia, we can definitely recommend a stopover in pretty Forchheim. In this blog article we will tell you about our favorite places and tips for Forchheim and the surrounding area.
1. Forchheim: The Franconian half-timbered town at a glance Beautifully renovated half-timbered houses, idyllic Alleys and a pleasant small town flair – welcome to Forchheim! Forchheim is just half an hour away from its big sister Nuremberg, but is considered quite an insider tip in Franconia.
Forchheim is not a city where you can expect superlative sights. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t wonderfully photogenic corners here – quite the opposite.
Forchheim is ideally suited to A love of detail and to marvel at supposed little things: The picturesque town hall square, for example, with its beautiful half-timbered buildings and balconies decorated with flowers. The fantastic view of the old town from the fortress wall. Or the sight of the crooked Kammerers mill. That’s why we think the slogan of the Tourist Information Forchheim was chosen so appropriately:
Every “Eckla” lovable Franconian.
(By the way, it is typical for the Franconian dialect that many words end with the letter “a”. You will notice it immediately, I promise.) And yes , there are really many lovely “Eckla”, i.e. corners, in Forchheim.
2. Sights & our tips for Forchheim Forchheim’s old town: tour of our favorite places Good news : The historic old town of Forchheim is really manageable. You can easily explore them on foot in one day – and you will almost certainly pass some corners several times. We will introduce you to the most important sights as a small tour that you can imitate perfectly.
Rathausplatz Your stay in Forchheim is best started in front of the Rathaus, the heart of the city. Some beautiful half-timbered houses are located on the town hall square, including the magistrate’s building, which is attached to the town hall. Our tip: In the summer months, the light shines particularly beautifully on the square in the late afternoon.
The bell tower of the St. Martin’s Church visible. It is the largest and most important church in Forchheim. Afterwards you should definitely walk along the photogenic Kapellenstraße. The parked cars do cloud the cityscape a bit, but there are some really beautiful half-timbered houses here.
Kaiserpfalz At the end of Kapellenstraße you will reach the so-called Kaiserpfalz. The former bishop’s castle comes from the 14. Century. Today the imposing imperial palace houses Forchheim’s most important museum, the Palatinate Museum, which we did not visit.
In the rooms and in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace Events over the stage. For example, the very popular Festival of Delights takes place here in June. The arts and crafts market and the Africa Culture Days are also well attended.
The district court of Forchheim is located next to the Imperial Palace. You have a nice view of this building including the former city wall from the back.
Old city wall & Kasematten Of all our favorite places in Forchheim, we have one favourite: The spot on the old town wall , from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of Forchheim . Unfortunately, the former city wall of Forchheim is only partially preserved today. However, remains can be found throughout the city.
From the Imperial Palace you can reach what is probably the most beautiful spot on the city wall in a few minutes. It is located on the right hand side of Sattlertorstrasse, past the Saltor Tower. (We have marked the exact location on the map at the end of the article.) From here you have a wonderful view of St. Martin’s Church and a pretty half-timbered ensemble. Unfortunately, the sun sets backwards, so there is no backlight here in the evening. However, the setting sun bathes Forchheim in a wonderful light.
You also have a very nice view of Forchheim from the section in the area of the so-called Red Wall (= St. Veit Bastion) . (The two remains of the city wall are not connected. Access to this section is only a few steps away from the Imperial Palace.)
Speaking of the Red Wall: Here you will also find access to the casemates, the underground vaulted passages, which you can only visit as part of a city tour.
Small Venice & Kammerer’s Mill Your city tour should definitely take you to Little Venice. As the name suggests, water awaits you here – more precisely the Wiesent, a tributary of the Regnitz. On the left and right of the bank there are some pretty half-timbered houses and stilt houses . Based on the name, you might expect something bigger, but one thing is certain: This part of the city is really very idyllic.
Little Venice stretches south from the hospital church of St. Catherine to the bridge in Vogelstrasse . Probably the best-known and, in our opinion, the most beautiful spot is the Kammerers Mühle on Badsteg.
Kellerwald Forchheim Curtain up for a superlative: The probably largest beer garden in the world is in Forchheim. The so-called cellar forest accommodates 23 Beer cellar. It is located on the outskirts of town and more than lives up to its name.
Who think of a forest here, it’s spot on. The beer cellars are all located in a idyllic forest . That means: You walk from beer cellar to beer cellar. Sound cozy? It is!
You will quickly notice that you keep coming across wooden gates and hidden cellar entrances. There is a reason for this: They lead into the underground labyrinth of miles-long corridors in which the beer was once stored. This gave rise to the tradition of enjoying the beer on the spot – and voilà, the Kellerwald was born.
Very important note: You go to Forchheim on the basement, not in the basement. However, we have been told that you go to the Kellerwald – someone should understand that.
Which cellar to visit? At 30 Cellars are not like that at all easy to make a decision. We chose the bell cellar, which we can highly recommend. The ambiance is great and the staff is very accommodating. What surprised us in an extremely positive way: In the meantime, even vegan sausages are offered in the Glockenkeller. You wouldn’t expect that in such a rustic, traditional setting.
The Schindlerkeller is also said to be very nice. The truth is, you can’t make a wrong decision – it’s very nice everywhere. The opening times vary, ie every beer cellar has different opening hours. In general, during the official beer cellar season (April to October) some cellar is always open from the afternoon at the latest.
3. Excursion tip for Forchheim: Walberla & Rodenstein Only a few minutes drive from Forchheim you are already in the Franconian Switzerland – a region that is so called because it looks a little reminiscent of the mountains of Switzerland. So you can combine a city holiday with nature – wonderful!
A destination that you should not miss during a stay in Forchheim is the so-called Walberla. The Walberla is a good 480 Meter high mountain massif east of Forchheim. The actual name of the mountain is Ehrenbürg and consists of two neighboring peaks: Walberla and Rodenstein.
We found the Walberla particularly beautiful with its high plateau, the photogenic Walburgis chapel as well as the two vertical, jagged rocks. From up here you have a wonderful view of the valley and you can even see Bamberg Cathedral in the distance. By the way, the sun sets almost perfectly behind the rock formation. If you’re lucky with the weather, you shouldn’t miss this spectacle.
Arrival at Walberla: information & tips Good news for all those who are not so enthusiastic about hiking. From the nearest car park in Schlaifhausen (15 by car from the center of Forchheim) you just walk 15 minutes to the summit of Walberla. The path is slightly uphill, but it’s really doable. We have marked the exact location of the parking lot on the map at the end of this blog article.
About halfway there is a fork in the road where you have to decide whether you want to go to Walberla or to the want to go to Rodenstein. We recommend both – the distances are really short and you have a nice view from both peaks. For orientation: From one summit to the other you go about 14 Minutes.
Hike from the Forchheimer Kellerwald to the Walberla The second option to reach the Walberla is more for those athletic. The hiking trail “On the footsteps of the Celts” leads from the Forchheimer Kellerwald to the summit of Walberla.
The total hiking distance (there and back) is tight 15 Kilometer long. You should plan at least six hours for this route. You can find more information here: Hike from the Kellerwald to the Walberla.
4. Culinary delights: tips for cafés and restaurants in Forchheim What should we do say: Pleasure is lived in Forchheim. It is not for nothing that Forchheim bears the title Bavarian place of pleasure. Therefore, our restaurant and café tips are a bit more extensive this time than usual. You will still be grateful to us – I promise!
Lübbis Looking for a modern, urban restaurant in downtown Forchheim? Then we can recommend the Lübbis to you. The menu features internationally inspired dishes such as burgers, bowls and pasta. A big plus: There are countless vegetarian options. For example, burgers with Beyond Meat are also served here (which we can warmly recommend, by the way).
The restaurant is located in a small alley with little traffic, so the tables are outside when the weather is nice to recommend. It’s really comfortable to sit here. Our conclusion: We’d love to come back anytime!
Address: Pharmacy Street , 91301 Forchheim
To the old customs house Should it be something upscale? Then there is no way around the restaurant Zum alten Zollhaus in Forchheim. Here, creative Franconian cuisine is served at a very high level . We really had an excellent meal here. There are many meat and fish dishes on the menu, but there is also something for vegetarians.
It is particularly nice to sit at the tables outside by the water. Inside, the ambience is a bit old-fashioned, but definitely comfortable. Quite apart from the excellent kitchen , the service staff also deserves great praise. We received a very friendly welcome and were given great recommendations.
Address: Main Street 4, 2020 Forchheim
Coffee roastery Bogatz Caffeine junkie? Then you should definitely pay a visit to the Bogatz coffee roastery! By far the best coffee in all of Forchheim is served here. The coffee is roasted on site – on some days a wonderful scent flows through the café.
Our tip: You can also have one in the coffee roastery Try Forchheim’s specialty, the so-called Urrädla. The taste of this lard reminded us a little of the snowballs from Rothenburg. By the way, a Urrädla is traditionally shared with friends or family members in such a way that everyone breaks off a piece (or more).
Address: Wooden Road 10, 91301 Forchheim
Delicatessen Karnbaum An institution in Forchheim is the Karnbaum delicatessen, which draws everyone’s attention simply because of the decorative lettering. For generations people have specialized in selling fish here.
The shop is divided into two parts: on the left is the fish shop, on the right is the delicatessen where you can buy cheese, wine and other delicacies are. In the associated bistro changing daily specials are served during the day. Fish lovers in particular will get their money’s worth here.
Around the corner of the delicatessen, on the banks of the Wiesent, you can take a look at the associated fish boxes throw. Trout and carp (among other things) swim here before they are processed and sold in the Karnbaum delicatessen.
Address: Hornschuch-Allee 23, 91301 Forchheim
Brewery Neder Looking for a rustic experience? Then off to the Neder brewery. We were completely flabbergasted (as we would say in Vienna) when the restaurant 10: 30 was already packed – on a weekday, mind you. People meet here for a beer at any time of the day. (And for a very cheap beer, because half a liter costs just over 2,480 Euro.)
A special feature in the Neder brewery: you can have your snack ( i.e. snack) bring your own. This privilege is definitely used, as we could see with our own eyes at the next table. One thing is certain: The Neder brewery is without a doubt an original.
Exciting detail: The Neder brewery is the oldest brewery in Forchheim and one of the last four remaining breweries in the city area. Together with the other breweries and the beer cellars in the Kellerwald, it is part of the so-called Walk of Beer. (You can find the corresponding star on the ground in front of the entrance to the brewery.) Find out via the QR code you exciting details about the individual stops.
Address: Sattlertorstrasse 14, 853 Forchheim
Gutlands in the Hotel Arivo Forchheim Admittedly: the location is off the beaten track of the city center may seem intimidating at first glance. Maybe you’re staying near the train station or even in the Arivo Forchheim (more on that in a moment) – then the Gutlands is the perfect choice.
Here you dine in a cozy living room atmosphere. At noon (when we were guests) there are cheap lunch dishes for about seven euros. In the evening the menu is a bit more extensive. Our conclusion: cool design, good food – what more could you ask for?
Address: Bayreuther Strasse 1, 91301 Forchheim
More culinary tips for Forchheim More recommendations for cafes and restaurants ? Exactly! You should also remember these spots.
Buonissimo Forchheim: The best pistachio ice cream in Forchheim is probably here. Although Buonissimo is a chain, we think that the ice cream tastes really good here.
Heaven & Earth: Café meets pottery. This little jewel is probably one of the most individual shops in the center of Forchheim. It is only a stone’s throw away from the town hall square and is definitely worth a visit.
5. Our hotel tip for Forchheim We spent two nights at the Arivo Forchheim stayed, which we highly recommend . The hotel is located on the outskirts of the city center near the train station. You can easily reach the Rathausplatz (the heart of Forchheim) in around 15 minutes walk.
The rooms are pleasantly large and spacious. They are equipped according to an apartment hotel and therefore also have a small kitchenette (including a Nespresso machine). Our room even had a balcony. The beds were super comfy (and we would call ourselves discerning). A little tip: the hotel is on a busy street. Luckily we had a room at the back and can highly recommend it. We didn’t hear anything from the street noise.
Our conclusion: We would stay here again at any time! Although the hotel’s location on the road near the railroad tracks may seem a little off-putting at first glance, we felt completely comfortable inside. We have a clear recommendation!
You can book the hotel here: Arivo Forchheim
2020Transparency: Advertising & Affiliate Links91301 This blog article was created in cooperation with FrankenTourismus. We are traveling as part of the campaign “10 cities” total 15 Franconian towns.
This blog article contains our personal recommendations in the form of so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something through the links, we will receive a small commission. For you, this does not change the price at all. A thousand thanks from both of us!
Have you ever ended up in Forchheim? How did you like it? Or maybe you have additional tips for Forchheim or experiences that you would like to share with us? Perhaps you are also planning a road trip through Franconia and still have questions? Leave us a comment – we look forward to it!
