Kulmbach Trails

Trail Running in the Frankenwald

The Kulmbach Trails are a trail running event in Kulmbach, the beer town in the Upper Franconian district of Kulmbach in the state of Bavaria. The organizer is the Crazy Runners Team Frankenwald, which took over the event in 2021 from the previous Trails4Germany run in Kulmbach. The routes lead from the historic market square up to the Plassenburg and further into the forests and valleys of the Frankenwald.

Routes and Distances

The Kulmbach Trails offer four competitions for different performance levels:

• Long Trail: 29.2 km / 950 meters of elevation gain
• Short Trail: 15.6 km / 600 meters of elevation gain
• Mini Trail: 8.1 km / 290 meters of elevation gain
• Kids Race: 1 and 2 km

All routes begin with a demanding climb immediately after the start – up to the Plassenburg. Afterwards, it continues over the Frankenwald-Steigla on natural paths through the autumnal beech forest around Kulmbach.

Race Day Schedule

Race day is tightly scheduled: The Long Trail starts in the morning (limited to 100 places), followed by the Kids Race, the Short Trail (max. 150 places), and the Mini Trail (max. 150 places). The start and finish for all races is the Kulmbach market square at the foot of the Plassenburg. Registration is via the Datasport registration service.

Plassenburg Scenery

The Plassenburg above Kulmbach is one of the most magnificent Renaissance castles in Germany and shapes the cityscape. It forms the unmistakable backdrop for the Kulmbach Trails: From the historic market square, runners first climb to the castle before delving into the Frankenwald. This combination of city history, Franconian landscape, and sporting challenge makes the event in the Kulmbach district a highlight of the Upper Franconian running calendar.