{"id":23803,"date":"2023-05-21T10:25:16","date_gmt":"2023-05-21T08:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/?p=23803"},"modified":"2023-05-21T10:25:23","modified_gmt":"2023-05-21T08:25:23","slug":"forchheim-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/germany\/bavaria\/franconian-switzerland\/forchheim-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Forchheim experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Forchheim is an old royal town in Upper Franconia and is considered the gateway to Franconian Switzerland. Not only the city, but also the surrounding area invites you to explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The sights of Forchheim are located in the historic city center and can be easily explored during a walk. In the evening, don’t miss visiting the Forchheim cellars<\/a> (Forchheimer Keller) and reviewing the day over a beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortress of Forchheim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1552, Kulmbach troops occupied Forchheim for three months. After the recapture of the city, the High Diocese of Bamberg decided that the city would have to be better protected in the future. It was decided to build a border fortress based on the Italian model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 1553, the construction of the St. Vitus bastion began south of the Forchheim Palatinate (castle). In the following years the fortress construction was extended by the bastion near the Saltor Tower and the entrance gates : Bamberg Gate, Reuther Gate, Nuremberg Gate, Sattler Gate were built. Two surge tanks secured the inflow and outflow of the Wiesent river.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The fortification had its first test during the Thirty Years’ War. The medieval city walls and the new buildings were apparently enough deterrent, the city was hardly besieged. After the end of the fighting, the construction of the fortress continued. 10 bastions were built, connected by long curtain walls. In front of them was a moat about 30 meters wide. In addition, numerous administrative and representative buildings were built inside the fortress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Stadtmodell\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the fortifications were no longer used by the army in 1838, the city finally bought them back. It undertook to demolish the complex. After the First World War, a large part of the fortress disappeared from Forchheim. The material was used, for example, for the construction of the municipal high school. Some of the trenches were transformed into parks, which are still used by the population today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which buildings of the fortification are still present in the cityscape today?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When searching for traces of the “remains” of the fortifications, you will quickly find them in Forchheim. During a walk through the city, for example, you will find the medieval city wall near Sattlertorstra\u00dfe. Two bastions in the northwest of the old town are still preserved from the first stage of expansion based on the Italian model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Festungsanlage<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In front of the St. Vitus Bastion you can walk wonderfully today. By chance, I also discovered a coat of arms that can be seen on the wall. The courtyard between the bastions is still almost completely preserved. Only at the district court it is missing and one has a beautiful view of the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the St. Vitus Bastion today there is the Red Wall-Veit Bastion Adventure Museum. It is worth to pass by here. Numerous panels inform about the fortress construction and defense system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Erlebnismuseum<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the small museum, the everyday life of a besieged city is presented in stagings, texts and radio plays. However, I was much more impressed by the large interior of the bastion, the casemate, with its small loopholes. The idea of how the soldiers sat together here for the city’s defense is quite exciting. What a background noise, a smell must have been\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Saltorturm<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The Saltor Tower is the last remnant of the medieval city fortifications. From there, the route continues to the “newer” city fortifications of Forchheim. The connection to the medieval fortification is interrupted by a road.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The St. Valentini work (Zwinger bastion) and the courtyard running towards it from 1657 are completely preserved. The bastion is triangular and invites to a walk. During a guided tour it is also possible to enter the bastion through the escarpment passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"N\u00fcrnberger<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One city gate, the Nuremberg Gate, is still preserved. The representative Prunktor stands today rather hidden and has no direct connection to the former fortification of the city. I find the coat of arms, which is held by two lions, particularly beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wappen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Visit to the Imperial Palace – the castle in Forchheim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the late 14th century, the castle in Forchheim was built, which was one of the most important city castles of the Bamberg bishop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Forchheim<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Via a sandstone bridge, the visitor enters an approximately square enclosure. In the past, the moat could be crossed via a drawbridge, which could be raised in case of an attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kaiserpfalz<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Large parts of the main building and the courtyard building date back to the 14th century. In the middle of the 16th century the castle was rebuilt. Half-timbered corridors were built above the connecting walls. Later, an octagonal stair tower with a stone staircase was placed in front of the main building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the castle houses the Palatinate Museum in the east wing with three sections: Upper Franconia Archaeology Museum, Forchheim City Museum and the Museum of Traditional Costumes of Franconian Switzerland. The west wing is an administrative wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Innenhof<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Museum visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I was able to take a brief look at the east wing of the Imperial Palace and was thrilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first floor there are two large halls that are used for special exhibitions. Since renovations were underway here, I had an unobstructed view of the size of the rooms and the remarkable ceiling supported by sandstone pillars. Fragments of a beautiful painting are still preserved on the walls. This was applied to the dry plaster around 1400 and is amazingly well preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n