In the Hof region, hiking trails through Höllental meet traces of mining and museums dedicated to crafts, language and history. The Hof region comprises 27 municipalities as well as the independent city of Hof. This means the view extends from the city of Hof to other places in the district. Its Upper Franconian hilly landscape is characterized by a diverse range of plant and animal life.
Hiking trails around Höllental
Höllental is a 3.8-kilometer section of the Selbitz valley between Hölle, a district of the city of Naila, and Blechschmidtenhammer, which belongs to the city of Lichtenberg. Both places are in the Hof district. In 1997, 160 hectares of Höllental were designated a nature reserve; together with Muschwitztal, it forms a European Union FFH site. More than 30 kilometers of marked trails explore the hiking area between Hölle and Blechschmidtenhammer and between the valleys of the Selbitz, the Thuringian Muschwitz and the Saxon Saale rivers.
The routes vary in length and course. The Felsenpfad US 14 runs for 5.4 kilometers through the wild, natural Höllental, passing rock formations and offering wide views into the valley. The FrankenwaldSteigla Höllentour is 7.4 kilometers long and follows narrow paths through the nature reserve. The 11.2-kilometer König David US 21 circular route leads from Issigau through Höllental to the König David lookout rock and back. Another circular route, the approximately seven-kilometer Geology and Mining Nature Trail, runs between Höllental and the Lochbachtal to the west. It starts and ends at the Frankenwald Nature Park Information Center in the old Lichtenberg railway station in Blechschmidtenhammer; parking is available there.
When comparing the routes, you can use the stated distances and route descriptions as a guide: from the 5.4 kilometers of the Felsenpfad to the 11.2 kilometers of the König David circular route. Rock vistas, narrow paths and the themed trail on geology and mining each offer a different focus. Another named hiking junction is Untereichenstein. The Frankenweg starts there; the Rennsteig, FrankenwaldSteig, Blue Ridge Trail and Franconian Mountain Trail also start at the same point.
Mines, museums and regional history
The Friedrich-Wilhelm-Stollen is both a working show mine and a 1,000-meter-long drainage tunnel founded by Alexander von Humboldt. It is a protected listed monument; its monument number is D-4-75-146-19. In Mödlareuth, the German-German Museum makes the former site of separation and division accessible as a memorial, a place where borders were overcome and a place for encounters. On an approximately 15,000-square-meter outdoor site, it preserves large sections of the former barriers specific to Mödlareuth in their original form.
Other museums focus on crafts and everyday life. The Upper Franconian Textile Museum in Helmbrechts presents the development of textile production, from simple home weaving to industrial weaving. On the ground floor, three stacks of the “Longest Scarf” are displayed as an eye-catching feature; they weigh well over half a ton. The museum regularly offers courses and training in handicrafts and fabric processing, including sewing, quilting and printing. Dates for individual activities may change.
At the Upper Franconian Firefighting Museum in Schauenstein Castle, original exhibits show the development of firefighting in the Hof district from 1855 to the present day. A hand-operated fire pump dating from 1855 is described as the oldest and most important exhibit. The Schauenstein Local History Museum complements the displays with taxidermy specimens, a mineral collection, and rooms recreating the homes of craftsmen and townspeople. The Marlesreuth Weaver’s House, meanwhile, explores the austere life of hand weavers and the role of the dominant handloom. Built at the beginning of the 19th century, the building is one of the oldest surviving private houses in the village.
The Erika Fuchs House in Schwarzenbach an der Saale is Germany’s first comic museum. Interactive stations invite visitors to explore language in a playful way. Special exhibitions, talks, readings and workshops regularly take up comics and the art of language; dates may vary. The region thus offers a range of perspectives: textile and craft history, the history of firefighting, and comics and language.
Discoveries in the city of Hof
Regional history is also brought together with a variety of subjects in the city of Hof. The Bavarian Vogtland Museum presents local and regional history as well as the history of technology and textiles, crafts and trade. It also features natural history displays on regional insects, reptiles, amphibians and fungi, as well as European birds and mammals. Theresienstein Civic Park covers 70 hectares of English-style gardens and is considered a jewel.
At Untreusee lake in Hof, visitors can swim, surf, sail, row and kayak; some activities may be subject to seasonal regulations. The Hofer LandBus helps people get around between service areas in the district and the city. Since its expansion in October 2024, it has served around 1,450 stops and runs on demand via an app, without a fixed timetable. Trips are available from 13 adjoining service areas in the Hof district to the city of Hof and back. Check the current service areas before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Bad Steben, Schwarzenbach an der Saale, Zell im Fichtelgebirge, Selbitz, Münchberg, Hof, Helmbrechts, Lichtenberg, Naila, Regnitzlosau, Schwarzenbach am Wald, Berg, Rehau, Oberkotzau, Feilitzsch, Trogen, Sparneck, Stammbach, Schauenstein, Köditz, Issigau, Geroldsgrün, Gattendorf and Konradsreuth.
For the main travel overview: Bavaria.
