The Kreuzberg - also known as the Holy Mountain of the Franconians - is the third highest mountain in the Rhön at 928 m above sea level. Only the Wasserkuppe (950 m) and the Dammersfeld (929 m) are higher. It is located near the town of Bischofsheim in the Rhön, in the Bavarian district of Rhön-Grabfeld.

The Kreuzberg is best known for its Monastery. In addition to home cooking, hikers and day-trippers can enjoy home-made Monastery beer enjoy. The landmark of the mountain - the Three Golgotha crosses - are enthroned on the mountain top. From there, there is a wide view of the Rhön.

Franciscan monastery on the Kreuzberg 

As the holy mountain of the Franconians, the pilgrimage to the Kreuzberg has a centuries-old tradition. The first pilgrimages to the holy mountain were made as early as the beginning of the Christianization of Franconia in 686. In the years 1590-1692, monks from the Franciscan order in Dettelbach looked after these pilgrimages during the summer months. In 1692, the first monastery building was erected and the monks moved to the Rhön mountain all year round.

Even today, the Kreuzberg offers pilgrims accommodation for up to 250 people. 4 monks currently live on the Kreuzberg.

Restaurant and the monastery beer 

The famous monastery beer has been brewed in the monastery's own brewery since 1731. The brewery is the last remaining Franziskaner brewery in Germany and one of the best known in the Rhön. The four naturally cloudy varieties, including the popular Kloster Dunkel, are bottled almost exclusively in barrels and served directly in the brewery's own restaurant. The restaurant serves Franconian home cooking such as cheese bread, knuckle of pork or roast pork. The restaurant has several dining rooms and a large beer garden in summer.

Mountain biking and hiking

One of the oldest mountain bike route networks in Germany is also located on the Kreuzberg. The various trails invite you to explore the mountain. A highlight for all mountain bikers is the flow trail, which is approx. 2 km long and has over 50 obstacles with waves and jumps. Once at the bottom, the Hochrhönbus can be used to get back up the mountain in comfort. If you prefer to explore the mountain on foot, there are a number of circular hiking trails available. One of the most beautiful of these, the "Kreuzbergtour" extra tour, made it into the top 5 most beautiful hiking trails in Germany in 2019.

Winter sports on the holy mountain 

The Kreuzberg is also a paradise for sports enthusiasts in winter. There are numerous trails for cross-country skiers, a toboggan run and several ski lifts, which together form the largest interconnected ski area in the Rhön. A special feature of the Bergsattel are the so-called Kreuzbergschanzen. The three ski jumps are the only ones in the whole of Lower Franconia.