Franconian Switzerland by Motorcycle: The Wiesent Valley, Pottenstein and Gößweinstein

Franconian Switzerland, the Fränkische Schweiz, is a limestone upland in northern Bavaria between Bamberg, Bayreuth and Nuremberg. It got its name from 19th-century travellers who thought its rock towers and narrow valleys looked like the Alps in miniature. For riders it means short, twisting valley roads, castles on every crag, caves in the cliffs and a density of small village breweries found nowhere else. It is not a place for big distances or high speed. It is a place for an easy day of bends followed by a long evening in a beer garden.

Planning a trip

Pottenstein, in the middle of the region, is the most popular base and a well-known meeting point for riders. Gößweinstein, Muggendorf and Ebermannstadt are good alternatives. Bamberg and Bayreuth, both less than an hour away, suit riders who want a city in the evening. Two nights are enough for the loop below and a second day exploring the northern valleys.

The A9 Munich to Berlin motorway runs along the eastern edge of the region, and the A73 from Nuremberg to Bamberg along the western edge, so it is easy to reach. Riders from the north often combine it with the Thuringian Forest, about an hour and a half north.

The loop (about 180km)

Forchheim to Ebermannstadt (about 15km). Start at Forchheim, on the western edge, and ride east into the Wiesent valley. On the way, the Walberla, a flat-topped hill on the edge of the upland, stands above Kirchehrenbach.

The Wiesent valley on the B470 (about 30km). From Ebermannstadt, the B470 follows the river Wiesent upstream through Streitberg and Muggendorf to Behringersmühle. This is the classic Franconian Switzerland ride: the valley is narrow, the road winds with the river, and limestone cliffs and castle ruins stand above you on both sides. The Binghöhle at Streitberg is one of several show caves along the way. It is a flowing road rather than a technical one, and it can be busy on summer weekends.

Tüchersfeld and Pottenstein (about 10km). From Behringersmühle carry on along the B470 to Tüchersfeld, a village built in and among limestone rock towers, with a museum of the region in its old buildings. A few kilometres on, Pottenstein sits in a deep valley under its castle. The Teufelshöhle, a large show cave, is just outside town.

Pottenstein to Gößweinstein (about 15km). Climb out of Pottenstein and ride round to Gößweinstein, where a large baroque basilica and a castle stand on the edge of the plateau above the valley. The road down from Gößweinstein to Behringersmühle is a short, tight run of bends.

Rabenstein and the Ailsbach valley (about 30km). Ride north-east through Waischenfeld to the Ailsbach valley, where Rabenstein castle stands on a cliff above the road and the Sophienhöhle cave is a short walk away. These are small, quiet roads, narrow and winding, through woods and past mills.

North to Weismain and back (about 80km). From Waischenfeld, ride north across the plateau through Hollfeld toward Weismain and the Kleinziegenfeld valley, one of the quietest and prettiest corners of the region, with a narrow road along a stream between rocks and woods. Return south across the plateau through Hollfeld and Aufseß, whose village is known for its breweries, and back to Ebermannstadt or Pottenstein.

The breweries

Upper Franconia has more small breweries than almost anywhere in the world, and many villages in Franconian Switzerland still have their own. Most have a beer garden or a Bierkeller, a cellar in the hillside with tables under the trees, serving local beer and simple food. The obvious rule applies: ride first, drink when the bike is parked for the night. Germany's limit is 0.5 per mille, and lower for new riders.

The roads

Surfaces are generally good on the main valley roads and patchier on the plateau lanes. Limestone roads are slippery in the wet, and the shaded valley floors stay damp for hours after rain. On sunny weekends the B470 and the roads around Pottenstein fill with bikes, cars and cyclists, and the region has a long record of motorcycle accidents on its bends. Ride the valleys at a steady pace and expect speed checks. Farm traffic leaves mud on the plateau roads.

When to go

April to October. Easter is famous for the decorated Easter fountains in the villages; May and June bring cherry blossom (the area around Pretzfeld is one of Germany's largest cherry growing regions) and green valleys; September and October bring autumn colour and the beer-garden season winding down.

A suggested day

Start early from Forchheim or Ebermannstadt and ride the Wiesent valley before the weekend traffic builds. Stop for coffee in Muggendorf, then ride on to Tüchersfeld and Pottenstein, and up to Gößweinstein for the view. Take lunch at a village inn in the Ailsbach valley near Rabenstein, then spend the afternoon on the quiet northern loop toward Weismain, where you can ride for long stretches without meeting another vehicle. Finish in a beer garden in Pottenstein or Aufseß with the bike parked for the night. On a weekday the whole loop is an easy, unhurried day; on a sunny Sunday allow much longer.

Bamberg and Bayreuth

Two cities sit on the edges of the region and make good rest-day stops if the weather turns. Bamberg, to the west, has an old town on the UNESCO World Heritage list, built over islands and both banks of the river Regnitz, and it is famous for its smoked beer (Rauchbier). Bayreuth, to the east, is the home of the Wagner festival and has a baroque opera house that is also on the UNESCO list. Both are easy to reach in under an hour, and both have parking outside the centre.

Where to stay

Pottenstein and Gößweinstein are the most central bases. The nearest region on our site is the Thuringian Forest, about an hour and a half north, and the Bavarian Forest is a good ride south-east. For more ideas, see the best motorcycle roads in Germany and our riding in Germany page.