Home is where Franken is

Franconian hot spots

You’ve arrived in the heart of Franconia and we want to give you some ideas for things to do in your new home that will help it find a place in your heart sooner. After all, university life isn’t just about studying.

Würzburg…

…is a city famous for its wine. After a short stroll to the Residenz, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, you should definitely stop on the Alte Mainbrücke (Old Main Bridge) for a ‘Brückenschoppen’, a glass of wine on the bridge. You can also hike on the paths through the many beautiful vineyards in the region and sample the wines directly from the producers in small establishments known as ‘Heckenwirtschaften’, from the Franconian word ‘Häcker,’ which means wine-grower.

A visit to Rothenburg ob der Tauber…

…is like traveling back in time. The medieval centre of the city is almost entirely preserved and is known as a tourist attraction the world over because of its historical buildings and cultural heritage. The city is also famous for its Christmas market and the Taubertal Festival.

The Franconian Lakes region…

…is located in Middle Franconia and Brombachsee is the best known of all the seven lakes. The lakes are the perfect location for a weekend camping trip. If you want to go for a swim, you can also travel to one of the many man-made lakes around Erlangen and Nuremberg.

Coburg…

…stages a world-famous event every year in July – the largest samba festival outside Brazil.

Bayreuth…

…is famous for the Richard Wagner Festival and its opera house, but it’s also worth taking a walk in the gardens of the Eremitage just outside the city.

Cinema lovers will enjoy taking a trip to Hof for the Hof International Film Festival in October.

Bamberg’s…

historic old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In addition to ‘Little Venice’ and the old town hall on the Obere Brücke (Upper Bridge), the city attracts many visitors due to its numerous beer gardens and the famous ‘Sandkerwa’ beer festival in August.

Fränkisches Seenland

Do you feel the need to get away from the hustle and bustle of university life and get out into the countryside? The area known as ‘Franconian Switzerland’ is right on your doorstep. It has plenty to offer such as climbing, canoeing on the Wiesent river, walking in ‘Paradiestal’ (Paradise Valley) or along the Fünf-Seidla-Steig brewery trail (a ‘Seidla’ is half a litre of beer), camping, visiting stalactite caves or dancing to your heart’s content at one of the many festivals.

Erlangen…

…is not only home to FAU, but also has many highlights such as the international Comic Salon in June, or the “Poetenfest”, a poetry festival held in the city center in August, the Kunstpalais gallery or the Botanical Gardens, the sculpture garden or the wild horses in the Tennenloher Forst nature reserve.

Nuremberg…

with its half a million residents, is the second-largest city in Bavaria, so in a way, we can consider it our capital city. In addition to all the advantages of a large city, you can sample one of the local specialities called ‘drei im Weggla’, which are three small grilled sausages in a roll, while you take in the medieval charm of Nuremberg city center.

FRISCH! at FAU

Here you’ll find everything you need to know about starting your studies. From service facilities to reports on faculty projects and extracurricular activities at the university to alumni interviews, it’s all here.

FAU freshman magazine „frisch“ (June 2021) (in German)