There really isn’t a lot of sightseeing to be done in the Upper Franconian town of Scheßlitz. But, what it does have is worth getting to know.
You’ll find the 30 (!) villages of Scheßlitz just about 14km northeast of the UNESCO city of Bamberg. So, getting here is definitely easy enough. Good, it saves your energy so you can walk about Giechburg.
The castle ruins of Giechburg might say that it once was a medieval castle. Yet, there’s evidence that the ruins of the castle were inhabited from the Stone Age. How do I know? The burial mound kinda gave it away. ;-)
One thing’s for sure, it wasn’t Stone Age man that built the gargoyle protruding from the castle wall. Neither did they build the Eisenkorb (an Iron Cage), and no one knows exactly what it was used for. I guess it doesn’t matter… The castle was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, never to be used again.
Almost as old as the Giechburg is the Gügel Pilgrimage Church. This 13th century church is dedicated to St. Pankriatius, but what makes this church really exceptional is its location on top of a huge rock. The staircase down in the basement was carved right from it — nifty engineering, wouldn’t you say?
The other church to see in Scheßlitz is St. Kilian’s. It might have been built in 1400, but it’s the Rococo altar that people come to see.
If you’ve got any time left to spend in Scheßlitz, spend it on beer. I’m not being funny, there are FIVE breweries in this small town. And because you’re in Germany, they’re all made according to the German Purity Laws. Delicious.
Drinking is not your style? It’s OK, just go see Scheßlitz’s Zunfthaus der Brauer (Brewers Guild Hall). Follow all the half-timbered houses until you find it. Should be easy enough — if you haven’t been hitting the sauce, that is. ;-)
