Discover Buch am Wald

Buch am Wald lies in the Frankenhöhe Nature Park and brings together historic churches, traces of old boundaries and paths through the countryside. When planning your trip, you can choose from different areas of interest: architectural and local history, hiking or traditional archery. The village’s places and activities each offer their own points of interest.

Churches and architectural history

The Evangelical Lutheran parish church of St. Wendel was completed in its present form in 1744/45, based on plans by Johann David Steingruber, master builder to the Ansbach court. The building extended the medieval church that already stood on the site. Parts of the churchyard’s high medieval fortifications have also survived at St. Wendel: the lower section of a round wall tower and a tall round-arched gate dating from 1661. The church therefore reveals several distinct building phases—from its medieval origins and surviving fortifications to its 18th-century extension.

Border history and hiking

A historic boundary line runs through the municipality, marked by mostly well-preserved boundary stones that are more than 200 years old. The line is considered unique in Europe, possibly even worldwide. It offers a different way to explore the history of the landscape than the churches’ architectural history: here, the focus is on old boundaries and the markers that have survived.

A 26-kilometre hiking route along the historic boundary established in 1804 follows the border between the former principalities of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst. The route is not signposted and mostly runs off public paths through fields and woods. Bear both of these features in mind when planning; they distinguish this hike from a signposted route on public paths.

Countryside and trails

The 17-hectare Kühberg nature reserve lies between Schönbronn and Gastenfelden. Near Buch am Wald, the European Watershed Trail offers a hike along the European watershed. On one side, water flows towards the North Sea; on the other, it flows via tributaries into the Danube and onward to the Black Sea. The watershed also makes the hike a vivid way to experience the region’s geography.

A nature trail runs through the Bucher Wald. Buch am Wald also has an extensive network of hiking, cycling and riding trails for short outings and day trips. You can plan your trip around your preferred activity and the time you have available. The nature trail, the Watershed Trail and the longer, unsigned boundary route each offer a different focus.

History in Hagenau and Schönbronn

Hagenau, another village in the municipality of Buch am Wald, is also home to a church with a long history: the Church of Our Lady was built around 1315 and extended towards the end of the 15th century. Its features include a baptismal font dating from 1752 and pew ends in the late Gothic style. The church’s construction date and its furnishings offer different historical perspectives.

Friedrich von Hessing was born in Schönbronn, where his birthplace still stands. Hagenau and Schönbronn add further places within the municipality to the history visitors can explore in Buch am Wald at St. Wendel and along the old boundary.

Archery as another activity

Die Bucher Bogner is a section of the Schützenverein 1965 Buch am Wald. It practices traditional archery as an outdoor sport, using a wide range of bows and shooting techniques. Die Bucher Bogner invites visitors to its course to experience traditional archery, one of humanity’s oldest forms of hunting. Check in advance what options are available for a visit or participation.

Discover more destinations: Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber, Mönchsroth, Burk, Wettringen, Neuendettelsau, Merkendorf, Gerolfingen, Ansbach

Return to the main travel overview: Ansbach.