Was ist los in Franken? April 8, 2016

ANSBACH, Germany (April 8, 2016) — “Was ist los in Franken?” details off-post community events and activities occurring throughout Lower, Upper and Middle Franconia.

Spring Awakening in Rothenburg
The city of Rothenburg is hosting a series of spring events, like decorating fountains or culinary walks or guided tours. To learn more, visit Tourismus Rothenburg.

Spring Fest in Nürnberg
The Nürnberg spring Volksfest, the largest of ist kind in northern Bavaria, is still ongoing at the Festplatz on Bayernstraße (near Dutzendteich) through April 10. To learn more about opening hours and program details visit Spring fest Nürnberg.

Blues Days in Roth
The 25th “Rother Bluestage” are taking place in the city of Roth through April 11; international Blues musicians offer their music during different events and concerts at several locations. To learn more, visit Bluestage.

Brewery Festival in Spalt
The breweries in the town of Spalt are celebrating the Spalter Brauereifest on April 16 and 17; visitors can take brewery tours, watch a beer brewer, or sit in the Biergarten eating “beer dishes” and sampling brewed hop beverages. To learn more, visit Brewery Fest.

Tour de Castle – Stein
The Faber-Castell castle in Stein is open for visitors every third Sunday of the month from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can tour the castle and the museum for an admission fee, and enjoy coffee and cake in the enclosed sun room. The next open house is on April 17; the castle is located on Rednitzstrasse 2a in Stein, on the corner of the B14 road towards Nürnberg. To learn more, visit Stein Castle.

Ansbach City Lauf – Running Fun in Ansbach
The annual Ansbach City-Lauf, a race for everybody with distances of 6.5 k, 10 k or half marathon, as well as different age groups, takes place downtown Ansbach on Sunday, April 24. Start and finishing point is the Brücken-Center mall, but race tracks are spread out. Traffic will be rerouted for a large part of the day to accommodate the runners. To learn more, visit Ansbach City-Lauf.

Volksmarch Hiking Days
Volksmarches or “Internationale Wandertage” are a form of non-competitive physical fitness training, which takes the participants through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Germany. The walking distance varies from 5 to 10 or 20 kilometer routes on scenic trails through forests, along rivers and lakes or around historic sites. There is no set start time, but a window of time for hikers to start the route, and finish it at their own pace. Trails are typically marked well along the way. Many trails are stroller-friendly and provide great opportunity to explore the countryside. After the walk the local hiking clubs usually offer food and drink in a hall or tent, sometimes even at a half-way point. Avid hikers can get a hiking passport stamped each place they participate, and many clubs reward their visitors with a small token. To learn more about Volksmarches in Germany, visit DVV Wandern.

Upcoming Volksmarch events in Franconia:

*April 9, 10 at Grub am Forst: Distances are 6, 11, 20 and 42 kilometers. The event starts at Haarther Ring 15, 96271 Grub am Forst, April 9 from 6 to 8:30 a.m. for the 42-kilometer hike, April 9 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the 6-, 11- and 20-kilometer hikes, and April 10 from 7 to 11 a.m. for the 6-, 11- and 20-kilometer hikes. Note that the marathon-length hike takes place only April 9. To see the flier, visit Wandertag Grub.

*April 9, 10 at Langenzenn: Distances are 5, 10 and 20 kilometers. The event starts at Pfaffenleite 16, 90579 Langenzenn, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

* April 16, 17 at Höchstadt: Distances are 5, 10, and 20 kilometers. The event starts at Aischtalhalle Höchstadt, An der Steige 5, 91315 Höchstadt at 6 a.m. to noon on both days. To see the flier, visit Wandertag Höchstadt.

* April 23 and 24 at Stegaurach (near Bamberg): Distances are 5, 10, and 20 kilometers. The event starts at Bürgersaal, Schulplatz 1, 96135 Stegaurach at 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday (5, 10 km) and 7 to 11 a.m. on Sunday (20 km). For more details, visit Wandertag Stegaurach.

Volksmarch with the German-American Hiking Club of Ansbach
The German-American Hiking Club of Ansbach is looking for new members to join them. The club members meet every other Tuesday for a Stammtisch to discuss their next outings and every weekend for hikes in the area; occasionally they take the train together or hire a bus to get to a more distant location. The Stammtisch group meets again on April 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gaststätte Lehenshof (Uzstraße 19) downtown Ansbach (behind Greek restaurant).