Coburg lies on the River Itze, in the Coburg county of Upper Franconia. This wasn’t always the case as it has an interesting history. First mentioned in 1056, the settlement was atop the hill now occupied by Veste Coburg. Most of its history was as part of the Saxon-Thuringia territory before becoming the capital of newly formed Saxe-Coburg in 1596. Noted as the birthplace of Prince Albert, fans of Royals may find it particularly interesting. It wasn’t until 1920 that it became part of Bavaria and was a strong hold of the Nazi party by 1929.
Post WWII
Coburg occupied an odd position after WWII as it was surrounded on three sides by the Iron Curtain. Ironically, with its once home state Thuringia on the other side. This surely shaped the town’s culture and likely didn’t help Coburg’s breweries to survive. Coburg beer & breweries may not be your main reason to make your way here but there’s enough of interest to keep you happy.
historical old town
Today its compact historical center attracts largely German tourists with its hilltop castle the major draw. The charming mix of architecture shows its varied historical past. Toss in the palaces in Ehrenburg and Rosenau for a full program. A once proud brewing tradition that featured the Coburger Hofbräu dwindled to none by the early 2000s when Kulmbacher bought both Scheidmantel and Sturm. Around 2011, a new micro-brewery opened in the Old Town. It’s a town perhaps unsurprisingly dominated by Kulmbacher and it takes some looking to find good beer in an area surrounded by it. It’s nonetheless a pretty place to spend some time. You can reach Coburg easily on the Nürnberg-Sonneberg line in a half hour from Bamberg on hourly trains.
Coburg beer and breweries may not be the town’s calling card but you’ll not go thirsty with the links below.
Breweries:
Beer pubs:
Day trips to breweries outside of Coburg:
Der Grosch in Rödental (7-minute train trip)
Seßlach (communal brewery with two restaurants serving the beer/half hour bus)
Brauerei Hartleb in Maroldswisach (half hour bus trip)
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