Town in Bavaria, Germany
Photo: Gliwi, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Forchheim is a small town in Franconia with an interesting old town. Forchheim is most famous for its ten-day-long beer and music festival (Annafest) which takes place in late July in an idyllic wooded hillside, home to 24 beer gardens, on the outskirts of the town.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Burg Forchheim
Rathaus
Built in the 15th and 16th century.
Kellerwald
23 beer gardens in on an idyllic wooded hillside. Site of the world famous beer and music festival "the Annafest" taking place annually over 10 days at the end of July.
This ruined castle is on a hill right next to the hill Neideck stands on (see below) "Streit" means "quarrel" in German and the tale goes that the two neighboring castles had a quarrel with each other leading to the destruction of both. The actual history doesn't confirm that tale but locals like to tell it regardless.
Next to Streitburg on a neighboring hill, this castle ("Neid" means envy) is said to have fallen victim to the same quarrel as Streitburg although, again, the actual history was different.
Palatinate Museum
Braunau local history museum
Fire Brigade Museum
The brewery has existed since 1554.
The brewery has been in existence since 1579. Today it produces 6 beer varieties and seasonal festive, anniversary, Annafest, Christmas fest and Bockbiere.
The brewery has been in existence since 1783. In the courtyard there is a beautiful beer garden.
The brewery has existed since 1848. In the Greif-Keller or in the Schindlerkeller in the Kellerwald.
Franconian and international cuisine.
Specialty is caraway roasts. Friday’s mackerel and herring from the charcoal grill
Founded in 2011, specialties such as Imperial Indian Pale Ale or Quartor-Doppelbock
Franconian cuisine, carp from their own ponds, game specialties from their own hunting.
The Witzgall family has been standing in the brewhouse since 1898 and behind the counter. The Landbier always receives good grades in international rankings. The Christmas beer is available from mid-November to mid-January.
The beer cellar is at Stiebarlimbach at the foot of the Kreuzberg and is connected by a narrow footpath with the beer cellar on the Kreuzberg, walking time about a quarter of an hour.
If there is no weather for beer garden, there is a restaurant with a tiled stove for 60 persons.
The Brauhaus was rebuilt in 2007 with a large children's playground
Rittmayer has his own recipe brewed and stored the young beer itself. Cozy inn with its own carp and cattle breeding and a large selection of dishes.
By plane
The next airport is in Nuremberg (NUE) and is connected to the main station via the subway (~12 minutes) which is part of the VGN network as is the S-Bahn from there to Forchheim.
By car
Both B470 (busy on weekends in the summer) and A73 offer connections to Forchheim.
By boat
The Main Danube Canal passes through Forchheim.
As Forchheim is rather small and wasn't built with the automobile in mind, walking is a good way to see the old town.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Nuremberg · International · NUE
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Forchheim and Germany.
Understand travel insurance for a Schengen visa in 2026. Learn mandatory €30,000 medical coverage, zero deductible rules, and embassy-approved policies.
7 min read
Estimate your Europe trip cost for 2 weeks in 2026. Compare realistic budgets for lodging, Eurail trains, dining, and sightseeing across three styles.
8 min read
Plan your trip with our Oktoberfest 2027 guide. Learn how to reserve beer tent tables, understand Munich hotel booking windows, and budget daily costs.
8 min read
Explore the best castle and gothic hotel stays in Europe. Discover historic fortresses, medieval estates, luxury châteaux, and Spanish parador hotels.
6 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.