Marienmünster, a cycling tour on the Franconian WaterCycle Route and the landscape around Krummweiher offer different ways to explore Königshofen an der Heide. Its architectural and pilgrimage history draws attention to the church; by bike, a route leads from the village to the pond and onward towards Dennenlohe. Forest, sunbathing lawns and a bathing pond provide a natural highlight. When planning your visit, you can decide whether cultural history, cycling or time in the countryside is your priority.

Krummweiher and the Heath

Krummweiher is about 500 metres from the village of Königshofen an der Heide. The bathing pond is set amid extensive sunbathing lawns and the heath forest. The scenic heath is also close to Königshofen. It is one of the largest contiguous forest areas in Middle Franconia and is also home to significant Roman monuments. The distinction is useful when choosing an outing: Krummweiher is centred on the bathing pond and sunbathing lawns, while the heath offers a large forest area and Roman monuments. These natural and historical features complement each other without needing to be linked by a set route.

Church history and Marienmünster

The late Gothic church of Königshofen—the Marienmünster—was consecrated in 1396 and has been regarded as one of the region’s most significant architectural monuments ever since. As a pilgrimage church, it bore the name Beatae Mariae Virginis; originally, it was also part of a convent. The Marienmünster’s main attraction has always been the supposedly miraculous statue of Mary above the sacrament house in the choir. Alongside the building’s history, pilgrimage, the history of the convent and the image of Mary are therefore central. Tours of the Marienmünster are available by arrangement; before your visit, check whether and when a time can be arranged.

Cycling through Königshofen

The 33 km intermediate route 1 of the Franconian WaterCycle Route between Wolframs-Eschenbach and Dennenlohe passes through Königshofen an der Heide. On the section through the village, the route turns off before the Marienmünster and continues towards Krummweiher. It then runs between fields, meadows, forest and several ponds towards Dennenlohe. The 33 kilometres refer to the entire intermediate route, not just the section through Königshofen. If you use the route to plan your trip, distinguish the length of the full connection from the section you want to ride yourself.

Culture in the wider destination of Bechhofen

The wider destination of Bechhofen offers other distinct cultural highlights. The Jewish cemetery in Bechhofen is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Bavaria. At the market square, the memorial to victims of the Shoah contains 32 pebbles bearing the names of murdered Jews from Bechhofen. The Weighing & Measuring Museum houses an extensive collection of scales, weights, measuring instruments and capacity measures; its focus is on Bavarian systems of measurement and weight. Bechhofen’s churches also offer their own historical highlights: St Catherine’s Church took its present form in 1780 under court architect Johann David Steingruber. The Evangelical Lutheran St John’s Church was completed in 1922 and is an Art Nouveau building.

View the wider travel overview: Bechhofen.