When you first get to Knetzgau you might think there isn’t a whole lot to see or do. But with eight villages, you have to look at it like a layer cake. As you examine each layer (i.e., each village/hamlet) you’ll find that they have their own flavor, offering everyone something.
Take Hainert, for example. Their attention grabber is its Village Church. No, maybe it’s the Lake Festival every June. OK, it’s both.
Oberschwappach is a doozy. This village, which holds an annual Palm Sunday Procession, also has a beautiful 17th century Baroque church dedicated to St. Barbara. They also have their own Summer Festival every June and a Bach Festival.
Oberschwappach is also where you’ll find the lovely 18th century Schloss Oberschwappach. Come summertime when the castle is the venue for a Wine Festival.
Westheim might not have much in terms of old buildings, but they’re famous for their Village Festival and their Fair on the last weekend of September.
Zell am Ebersberg is one of the busiest villages of Knetzgau, despite having only around 790 people. Everyone loves the vineyards here in Lower Franconia, I guess.
Here in Zell you’ll find all sorts of wine events, wine tours, and everything that’s got to do with Lower Franconian wine. The area is especially popular from September to mid-October when the harvest comes in.
You’ll love the Schlossberg too, a medieval castle from 1115 that was destroyed not once, but twice. There was an even older castle over at the Böhlgrund, built in 1011. These are nothing compared to the Celtic tumuli found in the area.
Zell’s got some great hiking and biking trails, and even better festivals. The Wine Bike tour in May is fantastic, but so is the Pfarrfest, Maypole, and Oktoberfest.
The other top reasons to come to Knetzgau is the Steigerwald Nature Park, and the place also lies along the edge of the Haßberge. For anyone thinking water is refreshing, you’re in luck, Knetzgau lies right along the Main, which slices right across the northern tip.
It looks like there’s more to Knetzgau’s eight layers than I originally thought. Funny, many of them taste like wine. ;-)
Either way, now I know why they call themselves Die 5 Sterne im nördlichen Steigerwald (The 5 Stars in the Northern Steigerwald)…
