Stadtsteinach: Churches, Hiking Trails and History

Town Hill and Churches

The parish church of St. Michael stands at the highest point of the town hill. Its 56-meter-high west tower is visible from afar and is considered a landmark of Stadtsteinach. If you are interested in the building’s history: after the fire disaster of 1903, the church was completely rebuilt in 1904 and 1905. The Marterl circular hiking trail starts at the parish church, making it a specific starting point for this route as well.

The Marienkapelle (Chapel of St. Mary) lies at the southern end of the town hill, just outside the town wall. It is considered the oldest building in Stadtsteinach and is probably one of the oldest churches in all of northern Bavaria. This distinction is especially interesting if you want to differentiate historical claims more precisely: it is described as the oldest building without the same qualification used for the comparison with the churches of northern Bavaria.

The Christophorus Fountain in the market square is another striking feature of the town. It depicts St. Christopher with the Christ Child on his right shoulder. The church, chapel and fountain offer different ways to experience the townscape and its history: from a tower visible from afar, to a building outside the former town wall, to a statue in the middle of the market square.

Hiking Around Stadtsteinach

Stadtsteinach is a state-recognized health resort and has a well-marked and well-maintained network of circular hiking trails. The network is around 100 kilometers long and is maintained and marked by the Stadtsteinach branch of the Frankenwald Association. If hiking is a focus of your trip, the scale of the network offers a different kind of orientation from the individual Marterl circular hiking trail, which starts directly at the parish church. Check the conditions on the respective route before setting out.

Nearby, the Steinachtal Geotrail leads to Römersreuther Berg, with numerous outcrops of the “Thuringian” Devonian, and returns to Oberhammer via the Steinach rocks. Another described route runs from the car park at the Waldschänke Oberhammer via the Nordeck castle ruins to Forstmeistersprung. At both rock formations, nationally renowned Upper Devonian sections with diabase and flaser limestone are exposed. These geological sites offer a different focus from the churches and historic buildings in town.

Further afield in the region, the Mühlenweg (Mill Trail) offers a cultural and historical focus. The circular hiking trail is more than 18 kilometers long and was inaugurated in 1978. It passes eleven mills that are no longer operational. They probably date from the 11th and 12th centuries and served as grain and sawmills, hammer mills and, later, paper mills. The approximate dating and changing uses give the trail its own historical focus.

History and Visit Planning

The Stadtsteinach Local History Museum comprises 13 rooms and 250 square meters of exhibition space. Its collections include tools used in traditional crafts, exhibits on agriculture and forestry, machinery, artifacts of popular piety, and items related to the town’s, church’s and school’s history; there is also a natural history collection. The museum is temporarily closed while its exhibits are being inventoried. Before planning a visit, check its current admission status.

The Heiß-Schnabrich Memorial Trail commemorates Alfred Andreas Heiß from Triebenreuth and Michael Schnabrich, who was born in Stadtsteinach. Both are described as figures whose lives were shaped by the Nazi era; Heiß is explicitly identified as a victim of National Socialism. The memorial trail complements the history of the buildings and town with a reflection on this period.

Further afield, the Steinach Gorge is considered a landmark of the Steinach Valley and has been one of “Bavaria’s Most Beautiful Geotopes” since 2007. The Steinach Valley is described as shady and cool in summer, and shady and dry in spring and autumn. If you include this landscape in your plans, note that it is in a different area from the sights directly in Stadtsteinach.

Kulmbach also offers distinctive destinations: the nature trail on Kulmbach’s Rehberg is about four kilometers long and has 21 learning stations. At Plassenburg Castle, the German Tin Figure Museum displays more than 300,000 individual figures in around 150 dioramas. These attractions are in Kulmbach, not in Stadtsteinach.

The places described are in different areas; plan your visits according to the respective destinations and check current conditions wherever this is important for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Marktleugast, Presseck, Mainleus, Untersteinach, Kulmbach, Thurnau.

For the regional travel overview: Kulmbach District.