Aufseß is famous for its high concentration of breweries and the region’s first beer trail. The municipality’s population of just under 1,500 is home to no fewer than four breweries – a world record.
🍺 World record for beer
Since 2001, Aufseß has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the municipality with the highest density of breweries in the world: statistically, one brewery for every 375 residents. The four family-run breweries are spread across the following districts:
- Rothenbach Brewery and Inn in Aufseß
- Stadter Brewery in Sachsendorf
- Reichold Brewery in Hochstahl
- Kathi-Bräu in Heckenhof
They are linked by the approximately 14 km long ‘Brauereienweg’ (Breweries Trail), the first walking trail of its kind in the region (see Beer → Beer Walking Trails). Anyone who gets their walking pass stamped at all four breweries will receive a certificate recognising them as an ‘Honorary Franconian Beer Drinker’ at the end of the trail.
📜 Nobility & Castles
The history of the Franconian noble family von und zu Aufseß dates back to the year 1007. The villages of Oberaufseß and Unteraufseß are picturesquely clustered around their castles, which remain the residence of the Barons von und zu Aufseß to this day.
- Unteraufseß Castle – the family’s ancestral seat, first mentioned in 1327; the core of the present-day complex dates from 1677.
- Oberaufseß Castle