October 2015 - Overview

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates   
October 3 - Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit). NOTE: Stores closed
October 31 - Reformation Day  (Reformationstag).

Photo: James Damion at www.damionphoto.com Used with permission.

School holidays 
NONE!

Events (by no means a complete list)
Herzo
October 1 - 4  - Guangxi (China) Acrobats - Tickets €25 - €39

Erlangen
October 11 - Flea Market, Großparkplatz Innenstadt
October 17 - Bockbier Anstich, Kitzmann Brewery
October 17 - Wood Carving Course (for children), Botanical Garden
October 18 - Open Sunday, Innenstadt
October 24 - Long Night of Science- 6pm - 1pm  Nürnberg, Erlangen, Furth. Tickets from €10 Special Children´s Programs in all cities. All info in German.
October 31 - Halloween Party, Copacabana
October 31- Night Flea Market 6pm - 10pm Heinrich Lades Halle

Nürnberg
September 17 - October 4 Fall Market
October 3 - City Run - Nürnberg 
October 9 - 11 Day of Open Doors Nürnberg. Every 2 years Nürnberg institutions open their doors to the public. This years theme is the country in the city. Program (in German) here. 
October 9 - Night Flea Market - Special this year, street food from Thailand
October 9 - 18 Circus Probst adult tickets from €16  
October 10 - Barluath (Scottish Folk Music), tickets €18,20 Folk Club Reihe
October 14 - 18 International Jazz Festival adult tickets without discount €22
October 17 - 18 Ceramic Market, Hauptmarkt
October 23 - November 1 Lebkuchen (Gingerbread) Market, near Lorenzkirche
October 24 - November 1 Consumenta Bavaria´s largest consumer fair.
October 24 - Long Night of Science- 6pm - 1pm  Nürnberg, Erlangen, Furth. Tickets from €10 Special Children´s Programs in all cities. All info in German.

Other
Sept 4 - November 8 Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival (largest in the area)
Sept 5 - October 4 Bavarian Ecological Days (area wide, see website in German)
Sept 19 - October 4 Oktoberfest, Munich
October 2 - Wine walk Hammelburg 
October 2 - 4 Pumpkin Festival, Muggendorf (frankische schweiz) 
October 3 - 4 Pumpkin Festival, Altendorf
October 3 - 24 Michaelsikirchweih, Fürth
October 4 - Open Sunday, Fürth
October 4 - Jahrmarkt, Forchheim
September 26 - October 11 - Walking Weeks, Eichstatt
October 3 - Antique Market, Bamberg (over 450 vendors)
October 3-4 Historic Kirchweih and Hand Work Markt, Eichstatt
October 4 - Federweißen Fest - Zeilitzheim 
October 4 - Pumpkin Festival, Altendorf (near Bamberg)
October 8 - 16 Fall Hiking Week Rothenburg o.d.T. Daily free hikes around the city and area. 
October 11 - Apple Market, Oberhaid
October 10, 17, 24, 31- Beer walk (10 km, 6 breweries) Waischenfeld €10
October 24 - 25 Jazz Festival, Würzburg
October 24 - Long Night of Science- 6pm - 1pm  Nürnberg, Erlangen, Furth. Tickets from €10 Special Children´s Programs in all cities. All info in German.
October 24 - Burker Wine Festival, Forchheim
October 24 - November 8 Autumn Fair, Würzburg
October 25- Open Sunday, Schweinfurt 
October 31 - Halloween Tour, Bamberg (€4 children, €7 adults) 5pm. Note at 8pm is a tour just for adults. 
October 31 - Nov. 8 Fall Festival and Volksfest, Rothenburg o.d.T.

Other things to do? 

It´s Bockbier Anstich time! That time of year that the Bockbier kegs are tapped. Find a list of local Anstichen (the celebration the day the first keg is tapped) here. 

It´s young wine time. Starting Over In Stuttgart blog has a great post on the subject here. 

New to the area? Click here for a list of tours in the area in English.

From September to April - Public ice skating at Nürnberg Arena (W, Th, F, Sunday- during school  holidays and feiertage also Monday and Tuesday). 

Day trip to Kulmbach, a  beautiful city known for it´s beer. (1.5 hours from Nürnberg). 

Sign up for a class at the Volkshochschule. In addition to language classes, they offer wine tasting classes, exercise classes, art classes, and excursions/tours! (and more!)

Take the Bamberg Beer Tasting Tour €22 Self guided, comes with backpack and allows you 5 beers at various breweries. 

Other suggested day trips (earlier post on this blog) here. 

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page).

Visit the corn maze at Beerenland. 

Cycling and hiking tours (or self guided) in the Würzburg wine region here. 

Bike the Regnitz Bike Path between Nürnberg and Bamberg- information and various tours to take (in German) here.

Take a self guided tour of Erlangen. Or any one of these can be booked in English.

VGN has suggested walks and bike rides on their website (in English). Vineyard walk here, Rocks and caves walk here. See all of VGN´s suggestions for things to do here (in English). In German, you can read about all of their leisure bus lines and suggested routes/things to see and do in the area, a few are described in English here. 

Frankenkids has put together a list of family friendly beer gardens in the area. Scroll down here. 

KERWA SEASON! Though Kerwas or Kirchweihs can be found year round, October seems to be the end of the "season". Bamberg and vicinity here. Nürnberg (PDF) here, see here for links to the websites when available. Highlights of Erlangen´s Kirchweihs and other events here. Frankischer Schweiz Kirchweihs here. Click here (see left hand side) for Franken in general.

Kletterwald (link to  Rothenberg o.d. Tauber) or climbing forests are fun for kids of all ages. Pottenstein and Bad Staffelstein are also not far away, and close enough for a day trip. Prices vary, but around €15 per child, €20 per adult for 3-4 hours.

In or around Herzo? Information on hiking paths can be found here in English.

Have you visited Forchheim? An adorable city less than 45 minutes away from Nürnberg, information in English, including a self guided tour brochure for download here. Altstadtfest is June 26 - 28 of this year. Information here.

Check out the Fränkisches Freiland Museum, Bad Windsheim - great with kids. 

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium. 

Find a local Beer Keller here! My personal favorites here. 

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50.   

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5 

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map). Franken Tourist center suggested hikes here (right side), biking here. 

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here. 

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in  German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide?  Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

From April - October, take a tasting tour (in German) of Erlangen €25 

Go to a beer keller or garden!  Try Forchheim´s famous Kellerwald (click here for map and description in German). It´s little less than 30 minutes train ride from Nberg Hbf and then a bit of a walk. 

It´s wine festival time! With so many wineries in the lower Franconian region there´s a festival every weekend. Check out the list (in English) here (in English). The area is about one hour from Nürnberg by train.