A short loop around the fortress or a route that takes several hours: in Lichtenau, you can choose from very different walking times. Both circular trails start at the festival grounds; other highlights include the Lichtenau Trail along the Franconian Rezat, the Hohenzollern Adventure Cycle Route and the ensemble of the fortress and old market. This lets you balance your stay between outdoor activity and local history.
On foot: short castle loop or Ahorn Trail
The very easy “Lichtenau Historic Trail” is 1.1 kilometres long and takes about 30 minutes. It starts at the Lichtenau festival grounds and loops around the fortress. The moderately difficult “Ahorn Trail” also starts at the festival grounds. It is 14.8 kilometres long and takes about four hours. Its loop passes through Herpersdorf, Büschelbach, Schlauersbach and Waltendorf before returning to the starting point. You can therefore choose between two clearly different time commitments: a short loop or a tour that takes about four hours.
Fortress, market and museum
The Historic Trail loops around the fortress. An entry in the Bavarian monument list dated 13 September 2026 records the ensemble of the fortress and old market as an architectural monument. The designated area includes the fortress complex and the market that developed on its south and west sides. The monument entry therefore includes the old market, as well as the fortress complex, in its description of the ensemble.
Since 2009, Lichtenau Museum has been located in the Upper Gatehouse on the market square. Since then, it has continuously added further subject areas. The museum is currently closed for renovation.
Lichtenau on the Hohenzollern Adventure Cycle Route
The Hohenzollern Adventure Cycle Route runs between Nuremberg and Ansbach and passes through the historic Hohenzollern towns of Fürth, Langenzenn, Cadolzburg, Roßtal, Heilsbronn, Neuendettelsau, Windsbach and Lichtenau. Unlike the circular trails, this route connects several towns; Lichtenau is one of them. This means local loops and a regional cycle route between Nuremberg and Ansbach offer different ways to plan a route.
The Lichtenau Trail along the Franconian Rezat
The “Lichtenau Trail” circular route is 18.8 kilometres long and starts at the “Ziegelhütte” car park. It follows the Franconian Rezat past Steinbach and towards Rutzendorf before heading into Lichtenau. At 18.8 kilometres, it is longer than both the 14.8-kilometre Ahorn Trail and the 1.1-kilometre Historic Trail. Its course also sets it apart: rather than looping around the fortress or passing through several villages before returning to the festival grounds, this route follows the river and then heads into Lichtenau.
In the wider destination of Ansbach
In Wolframs-Eschenbach, the 2.2-kilometre, accessible Literature Trail Franconia loops around the town fortifications. Along 15 information panels, it explores authors from the Middle Ages to the present day whose works are about Franconia. The trail thus combines a manageable circular route with a literary theme.
The Frankenhöhe Nature Park is part of the wider Ansbach destination. It covers about 1,100 square kilometres and lies within the districts of Ansbach and Neustadt a.d. Aisch–Bad Windsheim, as well as the independent city of Ansbach. It is the source area of the Altmühl, the Franconian Rezat and the Zenn. Information about hiking and cycling trails, as well as ranger-led tours, is also part of the nature park’s offerings. Its natural setting makes it particularly suitable for recreation.
Discover more destinations: Wassertrüdingen, Weidenbach, Burk, Petersaurach, Weihenzell, Feuchtwangen, Insingen, Hesselberg.
View the wider travel overview: Ansbach.
