Discover Hausen: Lock, Traditional Costume and History

Ships passing through the lock on the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, living traditional costume culture and a 15th-century church give Hausen several distinct points of interest. Hausen Lock is on the outskirts of the village, where you can watch ships pass through. There are also two annual festivals and a historical connection to the Haller family. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you want to associate Hausen primarily with the canal, a particular custom or its history. These themes offer different reasons to discover the village.

By the canal and in the festival calendar

Watching ships pass through the lock offers a different reason to visit than attending a festival: on the outskirts of the village, the canal takes centre stage, while each festival is tied to a particular time of year. Every year on Kerwa Monday, the “Eierring” dance is performed in Häusner traditional costume at the Häusner Kerwa. The Heimat- und Trachtenverein’s museum festival takes place once a year in early summer in the historic setting of Greifenhof. It offers a varied programme for all ages, with many attractions.

This makes the choice of when to visit clear: the Kerwa is tied to Kerwa Monday, while the museum festival takes place in early summer. If you want one of these festivals to be the focus of your trip, plan around its date. The two events mark different points in the year, while the lock offers a separate reason to watch the boats.

Traditional costume culture and the Haller family

Hausen is considered one of the best-known traditional costume villages in the area around Forchheim. The local Heimat- und Trachtenverein continues to uphold this tradition, so traditional costume is not just associated with individual festival days but is also part of a living local custom. This gives the Häusner Kerwa and the museum festival a shared cultural context, even though they take place at different times and have different focuses.

Another historical connection leads to the Haller family. The Nuremberg patrician family built the church in Hausen in 1468, and the Haller family coat of arms is part of Hausen’s municipal coat of arms. The church’s construction history and the municipal heraldry thus refer to the same family, but in different ways: one relates to the origins of a church building, the other to the municipal coat of arms. Alongside the continuing traditional costume culture, this dated building history offers another way to explore the village’s past.

When looking for accommodation in Hausen, start by choosing the reason for your visit: would you like to plan your stay around the Häusner Kerwa, the early-summer museum festival or watching ships pass through the lock? This helps you first identify your preferred focus and travel dates. The festivals mark different points in the year, while the canal offers a separate reason to visit.

The wider destination of Forchheim

For a broader look beyond Hausen, the wider destination of Forchheim offers its own regional setting. The Kulturerlebnis Fränkische Schweiz hiking trail links landmark cultural projects across more than 280 kilometres in the Forchheim district. Before hiking the route, check local trail conditions, as they may change.

The wider destination of Forchheim also includes Wiesenthau Castle, Neideck Castle Ruins and Neideck Archaeological Park. Wiesenthau Castle is privately owned, used for hospitality and can be visited by prior arrangement; confirm your visit by arrangement before travelling. Neideck Castle Ruins and Neideck Archaeological Park are accessible at any time. Follow local safety and nature conservation notices when visiting.

These regional attractions offer different ways to visit: a long-distance hiking route, a castle visit by prior arrangement and sites that are accessible at any time. They complement Hausen’s own attractions but are part of the wider destination of Forchheim.

Discover more destinations: Obertrubach, Heroldsbach, Kirchehrenbach, Eggolsheim, Gößweinstein, Wiesenthau, Neunkirchen Am Brand, Hiltpoltstein.

Back to the wider travel overview: Forchheim.