September 23, 2026

Franconian Beer North of Bamberg: Lichtenfels-Vierzehnheiligen-Kemmern

~Breweries, Bierkellers, and Beer Hikes between Bamberg and Coburg~

Saturday a few weeks back was epic. So much so that I decided to write about it right away, rather than letting the experiences of the day age in my notebooks like most of my other blog posts. It started relaxingly enough with breakfast at the weekly farmers’ market on Coburg’s main square, turned into a hike from Lichtenfels to Bad Staffelstein, and ended around dusk with a second walk to the Wagner-Keller in Kemmern. With well over 20 km under my belt for the day, I barely noticed the effects of all that wonderful beer! Here’s the lay of the land, should you want to put together your own epic someday.

Lichtenfels

Wondering about all those baskets swaying in the breeze in the center of town? This pleasant market town was once a major center for basket making, and you’ll still find a few artisans plying their trade.

It’s also home of Braumanufaktur Lippert, which looks like your run-of-the-mill North American craft beer establishment, but which brews Franconian classics like their Räucherla. More in the spirit of Spezial than Schlenkerla, its aromas and flavours showcase air-dried meat, candied ham, and caramelized brown sugar over a bedrock of Vollkornbrot, all accented by spicy hops.

A string of baskets in Lichtenfels — *Lichtenfels with baskets*

Vierzehnheiligen

Kloster Banz rises up on a hilltop on the opposite bank of the Main and accompanies you the whole way as you hike to the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Impressive, this opulent pilgrimage site seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Despite its location, it draws the crowds. The hills were alive on this late summer weekend with groups of pilgrims mingling with families who had come out for the old-timer tractor show.

Old-timer tractors parked alongside the basilica — *Parked right next to the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers*

I have more on the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers in what might, at first glance, appear to be an unlikely place: a post called “Of Martyrs and Moby Dick: Weihenstephan’s Vitus.” Give it a read when you have a moment.
**

Your reward for your modest exertions is your choice of beer from Brauerei Trunk. I went with their Nothelfer Dunkel, a beer that has eluded me all these years. This looker of a beer tasted all the better in a packed beer garden swaying to the strains of a brass band playing traditional classics. A mighty fine Dunkel, one that packs plenty of chocolate, hazelnuts, and mocha.

Bad Staffelstein

It’s a pleasant stroll from the basilica to Bad Staffelstein, with the Staffelberg on one side of the valley and Kloster Banz on the other your constant companions. By now you’ll have reeled off anywhere between 12 and 14 kilometers, depending on which route you took. From here you could head north to Coburg or south to Bamberg — or, if it’s still early enough in the day, back toward a nice cluster of breweries in villages along the southern flank of the Staffelstein that includes the likes of Metzgbräu in Uetzing and Staffelberg-Bräu in Loffeld.

(Stay tuned for a post at some point about hiking on and around the Staffelberg. That’s one of those posts that has been “aging” in my notebooks. Like a fine wine, by now.)

*Street scenes in Hallstadt: a former brewery with the cowling from its maltings*

Me? I opted for the train south toward Bamberg and got out in the quaint town of Hallstadt. From there it was a short walk following the sun west in its arc toward Dörfleins (home of the legendary Brauerei Eichhorn and the Diller-Keller in the woods), then a wander through the darkening woods along a trail skirting the occasional meadow and farmer’s field.

Kemmern (Outskirts)

Obscured by the prodigiously leafy trees along the trail, the Wagner-Keller is the kind of place you hear before you see it, a place alive with the joyful laughter of kids playing, the sounds of friends celebrating birthdays and milestones. Before long, the gnome-filled forest opens out onto a clearing with the Wagner-Keller ensconced halfway up a hill. This is the only climbing you’ll do on this relatively short 3.5-km walk from Hallstadt.

Safely atop the Keller, I took in the magnificent view over the wetlands of the Main River valley to the hills rising up on the opposite bank, ordered my first beer, and found a seat to savour the setting as the lights of the Bierkeller started flickering on.

Less bitter than many Franconian Kellerbiers you’ll taste, Wagner-Bräu’s Kellergold Hell splits the difference between a Helles and a classic Kellerbier, with honeyed malt, freshly baked baguette, spicy hops, and a nice minerality accented by stone fruit. It’s the kind of beer I could drink till the cows come home. I had their Lagerbier for good measure (an opalescent amber beer that was mighty fine in its own right), took down a Spätzle (rare on Bierkeller menus), and headed off into the dusky forest to dodge the wild boars and get the train to Bamberg. The night there was still young enough for a stop at Schlenkerla and a few glasses of Spezial’s superb new Exportbier.

I have a recent post about Spezial’s Exportbier on Instagram. While I’m at it with the social media thing, if you’d like to see more of the “live” action I get up to in any given year while I’m in Europe during autumn, follow me on Facebook.

Nuts and Bolts

If you combine various hikes and walks in this region between Bamberg and Coburg, be sure to pack a headlamp, especially during springtime and autumn.

Klosterbrauerei Weissenohe: Where Malty Beers Fit For Monks Meet Dry-Hopped Ales

A Step Back into Old Nürnberg at the Trödelstuben Tavern

Forchheim: Three Breweries and a Forest of Beer Cellars