Three distinct themes are central to planning a trip to Hopfau: the former hammer manor in the Fichtelnaab valley, the geotope on the steep bank near the weir at Hopfau, and the 25.6-kilometre Steinwald Trail Loop for mountain bikes. The highlights can be distinguished by architectural history, geology and cycling, offering different points of reference to help you make your own choices.
Hammer Manor and Architectural History
The former hammer manor at Hopfau 1a is located in the Fichtelnaab valley and is listed as a historic monument. The two-storey building has a pitched roof and rendered rubble-stone masonry. Its features include a polygonal stair tower and sandstone surrounds. The building is dated 1665 and was renovated in 1733. The date 1665 is marked on the building; 1733 refers to the renovation. A pitched roof consists of two sloping roof surfaces that meet at the ridge. “Polygonal” describes the many-sided shape of the stair tower. Sandstone surrounds are stone frames around wall openings. This makes it possible to identify the roof shape, tower, masonry and surrounds as distinct architectural features.
Geotope on the Fichtelnaab
The geotope “Outcrops in the Fichtelnaab Valley SE of Rosenbühl” lies on the steep bank of the Fichtelnaab near the weir at Hopfau. Rocks from the Erbendorf green schist series are exposed there. Its geological focus is clearly distinct from the architectural history of the former hammer manor: here, the focus is on the exposed rocks on the riverbank, while the manor is about architecture and renovation. Those interested in geology as well as historic architectural styles can therefore explore two different perspectives.
Routes for planning your trip
The 25.6-kilometre Steinwald Trail Loop is a mountain bike tour. It can be accessed from the Fichtelnaab Valley hiking car park between Kronau and Hopfau and connects to the Fichtelnaab Cycle Route. The route length and cycle route connection are useful points of reference when choosing a tour. As trail conditions can change, it is advisable to check the latest route conditions before setting out.
Another route is the “Around the Town of Erbendorf” tour. It runs through the Tiefenbach Valley to the Fichtelnaab near Hopfau. By comparison, the Steinwald Trail Loop is described as a mountain bike tour with a specific length and a connection to the Fichtelnaab Cycle Route; for the Erbendorf tour, its route through the valley to the river is the key point of reference. This makes it possible to distinguish between the two tours based on their different described features.
Kemnath as a wider travel destination
Kemnath, the wider travel destination, offers other distinct themes. The Karpfenweg Rally offers a discovery tour with puzzles for all ages. A digital scavenger hunt by Actionbound follows the Fantastic Carp Trail to historic sights. As the availability of digital services may change, please check whether the Actionbound scavenger hunt is currently available before planning. The two activities have different focuses: puzzles are central to the rally, while Actionbound offers a digital route to historic destinations.
Kemnath’s cultural offerings also cover different themes. The Musikeum is dedicated to historic musical automata. Anton Heindl’s collection ranges from barrel organs to gramophones; visitors are invited to handle and listen to the exhibits. The Local History and Handguns Museum offers a different collection theme: it includes finds spanning 50,000 years of human history in the Kemnath region. In Kemnath, you can therefore choose between a collection of historic musical automata and a history of finds reaching far back in time.
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