Grafenwöhr: Old Town, History and Nature

Experience the Old Town and Its History

Grafenwöhr Town Hall stands at the heart of the historic old town. This three-storey Late Gothic building dates back to 1462. Together with the town tour, it provides a tangible point of reference if you are interested in the town’s history and architecture. The tour links the old town with Annaberg, with sights and squares along the way.

For a deeper understanding of the town’s history, a bookable guided tour is available in Grafenwöhr. It covers the individual stops and the town’s history. It also explores the influence of the military training area and present-day coexistence with Americans. This gives it a different focus from the town tour, which links the old town, Annaberg and historic squares.

Museum, Water Tower and Open-Air Stage

The Grafenwöhr Cultural and Military Museum features an exhibition about German-American coexistence from 1945 to the present day. Group tours and educational programs can be arranged by telephone. If you would like to include a tour or a group activity in your plans, be sure to arrange it in advance.

Another prominent building is the water tower. Built in 1911 in the Franconian half-timbered style, it is Grafenwöhr’s landmark. The tower is located within the military training area and is accessible only as part of a guided tour. Access is therefore restricted to guided tours. The open-air stage at Schönberg offers a different cultural attraction: it is used for performances, concerts, theater, open-air cinema and festivals.

The history of the stage’s location is also special: the open-air stage is in a former quarry where sandstone was extracted until the beginning of the 20th century. Today’s event use and the site’s former use for extracting natural stone thus come together in one place.

Walks and Nature in Grafenwöhr

There are eleven town walks in and around Grafenwöhr that you can explore on your own. The different routes combine history and nature with culture, art and puzzle-solving fun. When choosing a route, consider whether you would prefer to focus on historic sites, nature or a playful discovery tour.

The Bierlohe Nature Experience Trail near Grafenwöhr is about 2 km long. It invites you to experience nature with all your senses: see, taste, touch and smell. A cycling route leads right through the old town and past the Cultural and Military Museum.

For a visit to Grafenwöhr Forest Pool, the 2026 season features a stainless-steel pool, diving facilities and a children’s slide. This adds a water-based activity to the cultural and nature-oriented options.

Grafenwöhr in the wider destination of Neustadt An Der Waldnaab

In the wider destination of Neustadt An Der Waldnaab, activities throughout the district include hiking, cycling, visiting museums and swimming in the many bathing waters. One example of an activity at this wider destination level is the Bockl: this 52 km route follows a historic railway line from Neustadt an der Waldnaab to Eslarn and can be used on foot, by bike or on inline skates. It is mostly paved and free of traffic; gradients along the route rarely exceed 3 percent.

If you are looking for accommodation in Grafenwöhr, you can plan your stay around the local attractions that interest you: the old town and its history, a guided tour, the museum, the nature trail or events at the open-air stage. Each of the routes and places mentioned offers a different focus; guided activities and the town tour that you can explore on your own are clearly distinct options.

More places in the same destination: Eslarn, Pressath, Waldthurn, Eschenbach In Der Oberpfalz, Pleystein, Flossenbürg, Neustadt An Der Waldnaab, Floß

To the wider travel overview: Neustadt an der Waldnaab District.