Thurnau: Castle History and Craftsmanship

Thurnau is defined by striking connections: the origins of Thurnau Castle date back to the 13th century, a covered bridge connects St. Lawrence’s Church with the castle complex, and circular hiking trails offer different time commitments. History, craftsmanship and active excursions each give your trip through the market town its own focus.

Castle and Craftsmanship in Thurnau

A covered bridge connects St. Lawrence’s Church with Thurnau Castle, crossing a road along the way. The castle complex and church are therefore more than just two separate landmarks: their architectural connection is a distinctive feature of the town’s cultural landscape. The castle’s origins, which date back to the 13th century, give this impression a historical context.

The “Craftspeople’s Trail” offers another perspective on the market town. Since 2010, it has connected workshops and studios in Thurnau. The trail draws attention to craftsmanship as part of the town and complements the focus on the castle and church with creative spaces shaped by contemporary life.

The Tanzlinden Museum is in Limmersdorf, within the market town of Thurnau. It is an open-air exhibition documenting dancing linden trees. This adds another cultural facet: while the castle and church reveal an architectural connection, Limmersdorf turns the focus to the tradition of dancing linden trees. Bear in mind the different locations within the market town when planning your excursions.

Circular Hiking Trails to Suit Your Schedule

Thurnau’s circular hiking trails vary considerably in length and stated duration. Four start and finish at the Jägerstraße hiking car park; another circular route starts and ends at Schorrmühle in Thurnau. These details can help you choose a route to fit your planned schedule:

• The circular hiking trail through Thurnau is 5.8 kilometres long and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. The start and finish are at the Jägerstraße hiking car park.
• The Thurnau–Kasendorf circular hiking trail covers 12.1 kilometres and takes about 4 hours 15 minutes; it also starts and finishes at the Jägerstraße hiking car park.
• The Thurnau–Langenstadt circular hiking trail is 12.6 kilometres long and takes about 4 hours. The start and finish are also at the Jägerstraße hiking car park.
• The “Limmersdorfer Forst, eastern Albrandweg” circular hiking trail covers 23 kilometres and takes about 7 hours; it starts and finishes at the Jägerstraße hiking car park.
• The Thurnau–Kleetzhöfe–Limmersdorf circular hiking trail is 8 kilometres long, takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, and starts and finishes at Schorrmühle in Thurnau.

The shortest of these circular routes takes about an hour and a half, while the longest takes around seven hours. The other trails fall between these two in length and duration. Compare these figures with your day’s plans before choosing a hike.

More Excursions in the Wider Kulmbach Destination

The wider Kulmbach destination offers other types of excursions. The nature trail on Kulmbacher Rehberg is about 4 kilometres long and has 21 learning stations. The Frankenwaldsteigla “Rehbergweg” is an 11-kilometre circular trail from Plassenburg Castle to Rehberg, through Kulmbach’s old town and back to the starting point. The wider Kulmbach destination therefore offers a choice of different excursion themes: a nature trail with learning stations and a longer route via Plassenburg Castle, Rehberg and Kulmbach’s old town.

The cultural attractions there have their own highlights, too: the German Tin Figure Museum at Plassenburg Castle contains more than 300,000 individual figures in around 150 dioramas. In Wonsees, Zwernitz Castle was first mentioned in a document in 1156 as the ancestral seat of the Walpoten family. You can climb its tower for expansive views over the Franconian Switzerland Nature Park. Located right beside Sanspareil Rock Garden, three historic features still stand there today: the Rock Theatre in the grove, the Oriental Building and the Kitchen Building.

The Bavarian Brewery Museum adds another theme to the wider Kulmbach destination: its exhibition space covers more than 3,000 square metres and explores the history and art of brewing beer. A visit ends with a sample from the Glass Museum Brewery. With the art of brewing and a sample tasting, the Brewery Museum offers a distinct highlight in the wider Kulmbach destination alongside Thurnau’s castle and craft history.

The trails listed provide specific distances and approximate durations to help you plan. If you plan to use the 2026 public transport connection from Kulmbach via Thurnau, Sanspareil and Wonsees to Hollfeld and Ebermannstadt, check the timetable before travelling, as schedules may change.

Discover more destinations: Wonsees, Neuenmarkt, Marktschorgast, Stadtsteinach, Marktleugast, Trebgast, Kulmbach, Himmelkron.

Back to the main travel overview: Kulmbach.