Discover Hollfeld

During a stay in Hollfeld, you can choose from several highlights: the historic Upper Town, St. Gangolf, guided activities, and the terraced gardens. Depending on whether you are interested in the town’s history, a personal guided tour, or the plant life, different places and activities will take center stage. The details can help you plan your stay according to your interests.

Townscape and Culture

Hollfeld’s Upper Town, with Marienplatz, has preserved to this day the early medieval character of a burgher and hilltop town, as well as the layout of a spur settlement. The late medieval defensive tower of St. Gangolf is attached to the former church, which is now used as a cultural center. The tower contains an old tower keeper’s apartment and also offers a view. The Upper Town and the defensive tower each provide a different focus: the preserved urban and settlement structure on the one hand, and a single building with a tower keeper’s apartment and a view on the other.

In May and June, pilgrimages to Hollfeld’s Salvatorkirche take place. They are the only pilgrimages dedicated to the Salvator in the Archdiocese of Bamberg and are among the town’s continuing traditions. These religious dates add a distinct focus to the architectural themes when planning your trip.

Experienced town guides offer personalized, expert-guided tours throughout the year. The free leaflet “A Walk Through Hollfeld’s Historic Old Town” also provides information and pictures of the buildings; it is available from the tourist information office. The guided tour and the leaflet offer different ways to explore the town: the tour is personalized, while the leaflet brings together images and written information about the buildings.

Gardens and Nature Experiences

The terraced gardens lie on the steep southern slope below Hollfeld’s town wall. Plants adapted to a hot, dry climate grow there. These include hardy figs and cacti, native orchids, and the rare rock alyssum. Roses and their companion plants are in full bloom in June and July. If you would like to see them in bloom, you can plan your visit for these months; the specific plants on display may vary depending on the season and garden maintenance.

A botanist leads visitors through the garden and explains its plant life. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and is often combined with a town tour. This lets you combine botanical insights with a broader look at Hollfeld.

The children’s discovery trail in the Kainach Valley also focuses on nature: information boards cover flora and fauna, alongside activity stations such as a barefoot trail, sound-making wooden bars, and tree trunks to climb. On the way back, a goat enclosure lies by the trail. By comparison, the garden tour focuses on plants, while the discovery trail brings together a variety of information boards and activity stations. The activities therefore differ in practical terms: a botanical tour lasting about 45 minutes on the one hand, and a trail with several nature and activity stations on the other.

Discover more destinations: Plankenfels, Aufseß, Schnabelwaid, Goldkronach, Mehlmeisel, Fichtelberg, Weidenberg, Hummeltal.

For the broader travel overview: Bayreuth.