Grafenwöhr offers a variety of ways to experience culture and nature: the historic town walking tour leads through the old town and up to Annaberg, while the Bierlohe nature trail offers a different focus. Ways to visit also vary, from town walks you can explore independently to access to the water tower, which is available only as part of a guided tour. The town hall, museum and open-air theater round out the selection with architecture, local history and cultural events.
Old Town History and Town Walks
The historic town walking tour leads through the old town and up to Annaberg. Along the way, it showcases sights and attractive spots in Grafenwöhr and conveys the town’s centuries-old history. At the heart of the historic old town stands the three-story late Gothic town hall, built in 1462. Three stories describe the building’s height, while late Gothic identifies its architectural style. This makes it possible to explore the town’s history and a specific historic building on a walk.
Eleven town walks in and around Grafenwöhr can be explored independently. Their routes combine history and nature with culture, art and puzzles. This offers a range of thematic approaches to an independent walk, without requiring you to focus on just one aspect of the town’s history.
Water Tower, Museum and Guided Tours
The water tower is Grafenwöhr’s landmark. Built in 1911 in the Franconian half-timbered style, it is located in the military training area and can be visited only as part of a guided tour. If the tower is one of your interests, plan to visit it as a guided destination.
The Grafenwöhr Museum of Culture and Military History features an exhibition about German-American relations from 1945 to the present day. The museum offers guided tours for groups and educational programs by telephone appointment. A bookable guided tour in Grafenwöhr shares insights into individual stops and the town’s history; it covers the influence of the military training area and present-day relations with Americans. The exhibition and the guided tour explore German-American relations from different perspectives.
Open-Air Theater at Schönberg
The open-air theater at Schönberg hosts performances, concerts, plays, open-air cinema and festivals. It is located in a former quarry where sandstone was extracted until the early 20th century. This place thus brings together the site’s former sandstone quarrying and various forms of cultural events. If you are planning to visit for a particular performance, check the event date in advance.
Nature Trail and Cycling Route
The Bierlohe nature trail near Grafenwöhr is about 2 km long. It invites you to experience nature through sight, taste, touch and smell. This distinguishes its focus from that of the historic town walking tour: the tour highlights sights, attractive spots and local history, while the nature trail focuses on experiencing nature through the four senses.
A cycling route in Grafenwöhr goes directly through the old town and past the Museum of Culture and Military History. When choosing between a walk and the cycling route, you can consider their different features: the town walking tour conveys the town’s history, while the cycling route passes through the old town and by the museum. The options therefore differ both in how you get around and in their thematic focus.
Discover more destinations: Georgenberg, Kirchendemenreuth, Theisseil, Pleystein, Tännesberg, Pressath, Weiherhammer, Störnstein.
Go to the regional travel overview: Neustadt An Der Waldnaab.
