Up to this point I’ve had it pretty gosh-darn good. I’ve managed to find something stunning, spectacular, or even sordid about every single German town or city. But, between you and me, I had to work at it a bit in the town of Mainleus.
How so? I thought to myself, this is Franconia, how could I not find something that you’d all be interested in? Despite having some 40 villages (and 2 “farms”), and located right on the shores of the Main River — there wasn’t a lot to do in Mainleus.
That didn’t stop me from trying. And find it I did. ;-)
For starters, you’ll find three castles in Mainleus. The town is quite proud to be home to Schloss Buchau and Schloss Schmeilsdorf. However, Schloss Weinstein is the real winner. It was built in 1376, and belonged to the same family for more than six centuries. Its inner courtyard, and outer & inner gates are particularly noteworthy.
If you’re willing to travel the countryside a bit, Plassenburg is another wonderful castle nearby. This one’s a museum (all about pewter) if you’re interested.
When visiting between May and September the solar heated outdoor pool is one of Mainleus’ most popular spots. Not bad for less than 3 Euros a day.
All that swimming and sun can make you tired, so a night at the Bio Nichtraucherhaus Öhrlein is just what the environmentalists ordered. It’s a totally 4-star organic, non-smoking experience — serving organic breakfast too. And because they love the environment, they’re totally biker friendly.
Another thing to see while you’re out biking through Northern Franconia is Schloss Steinhausen. Again, who couldn’t (wouldn’t) love a Baroque castle?
As with many of Germany’s towns, if there’s a castle, chances are there are old churches as well.
The most popular is the St. Vitus Church, but I wouldn’t miss seeing the St. John Church in the village of Schwarzach bei Kulmbach. Not only is it near a whole bunch of 16th century framework houses, it’s also deadsmack in the Franconian Forest.
I guess I didn’t have to try as hard as I thought in Mainleus — and hopefully I made your time here easier too. :-)
