The kid in me just loves theme parks (amusement parks, whatever you wanna call them), so it was really exciting to find one here in the town of Heroldsbach — located just 6km from Forchheim.
Now that’s not to say the park is the only thing you’ll be doing here, but it certainly makes a good start.
If you’re like me, the Erlebnispark, or Theme Park, Schloß Thurn is the place to start. What makes this park truly unique, it’s also a stunning Baroque castle. The original moated castle is much older (built 1422), but the one you see before you today is a pretty yellow number from the 1730s. Come walk around the castle gardens, and don’t forget about the castle’s chapel.
The castle might come from the first few decades of the 18th century, but Heroldsbach is really much older. In fact, to celebrate the town’s 1000th birthday, the town “opened” a 27-station Kulturwanderweg. Of course there are other well-marked hiking trails throughout the region, if you’re so inclined.
Oh, c’mon, there’s no complaining about walking around anywhere in Upper Franconia. OK? ;-)
Now that I think about it, I’ve never heard anyone complain about a fine Franconian festival either. Lucky for us there are a number of them hosted by this very town. I think I’ve counted like three Kirchweih celebrations (with one in July, two in August). And it wouldn’t be right not to give mention to the Martinimarkt in November, or all the Advent concerts throughout the holiday season.
Advent is a religious season, so it seems only right to mention Heroldsbach’s pretty churches at this point. I’m a sucker for a medieval church, which might be why the Church of St. Georg (in the village of Poppendorf) is my favorite. What’s not to love about a Romanesque church with a “golden” altar?
All right, you might like the neo-Baroque Church of St. Lawrence better, or the very simple looking Church of St. Vitus in Oesdorf. It’s all personal preference, isn’t it? And I prefer to hit up that amusement park again — see ya later! ;-)