Engelthal brings together traces of a former Dominican convent and St Willibald’s Chapel, nature-related features in the village and a longer hiking route in the surrounding area. Visitors planning a stay can choose between monastic and architectural history, local natural attractions and a tour through the Central Franconian Jura. The historic sites tell stories from different periods; the Franconian Jura Panorama Trail opens up a wider hiking area.
Traces of the monastery
The surviving ground plan of the former monastery still reveals gates, remnants of walls and parts of several buildings. The Dominican convent was founded in 1240 by Ulrich II of Königstein. The former complex included St John’s Church, the chapter house, the refectory, the infirmary, the cloister, the cloister garden and outbuildings. These features give an idea of the different areas of the former complex, whose history cannot be reduced to a single building.
The fortifications are also part of the former monastery complex: in the 15th century, a ring wall up to four metres high, with three gates, and a moat were built. Remnants of the limestone wall survive all around the village, especially on its north and south sides; its core dates from the late Middle Ages. The monastery’s foundation in the 13th century and the fortifications built in the 15th century thus mark different chapters in the village’s history. The monastery’s spiritual life has its own story, too: its rich literary life in the 14th century is documented and bears witness to the nuns’ mysticism.
St Willibald’s Chapel
St Willibald’s Chapel, also known as the Chapel Barn, is considered the oldest church in Engelthal and predates the monastery. A church probably stood on its present site as early as between 1057 and 1060. The fragments that survive today date from a new building constructed in the 14th century. The unusual design explains the name Chapel Barn: beneath a shared roof are the choir of a former chapel and a half-timbered barn.
During the monastery’s existence, the chapel may have served as the church for the local population, the farmers and the monastery’s servants, while the nuns used St John’s Church. This is one possible interpretation. On 7 July 2005, the Chapel Barn was once again put to use as a place of worship and consecrated as a chapel. A space with a bench and tiered seating was also created in front of the chapel as a place to linger, a meeting point for young and old residents, and a stop for tourists.
Nature destinations and hiking
The natural attractions also offer different points of interest. The Stone Run near Engelthal is a scenic attraction on the Franconian Jura Panorama Trail. Engelthal’s Hutanger is designated as a biotope and provides information about the area’s traditional herding culture. A scenic attraction and a natural feature associated with traditional herding culture sit alongside the historic buildings.
The Franconian Jura Panorama Trail, which is just over 60 kilometres long, is a lasso-shaped circular route that runs around Engelthal, Offenhausen and Happurg. It was formerly called the Ulrich von Königstein Trail; it is also notable for its particularly high proportion of unpaved paths. You can hike it in three stages or as a day trip along cultural and historical trails through the Central Franconian Jura. The route’s length and the different hiking options give you a concrete basis for planning a longer tour in the area.
Across the wider Nürnberger Land, more than 3,000 kilometres of well-marked hiking trails and well-maintained cycling routes, with varying levels of difficulty, extend throughout the region. The Panorama Trail offers a specific route length and a course around Engelthal, Offenhausen and Happurg; the large number of trails, by contrast, reflects the diversity of the entire Nürnberger Land. When choosing your stay, you can consider whether you want to focus on Engelthal’s historic traces, its local nature attractions or a hike in the wider area.
Discover more destinations: Nuremberg, Simmelsdorf, Velden, Schnaittach, Burgthann, Hartenstein, Reichenschwand, Kirchensittenbach.
See the regional travel overview: NĂĽrnberger Land.
