Lichtenfels

Lichtenfels lies in Franconia's upper Main country, where river valleys connect wooded uplands with agricultural districts and neighboring towns. Its position supported local trade, crafts, and the movement of rural produce. Fields and pasture supplied households, while forests offered timber and other materials. A market settlement in this setting drew strength from both its immediate hinterland and its place along routes linking different parts of the region.

Lichtenfels received town rights in 1231 and passed to the prince-bishopric of Bamberg in 1248. Its old town developed around a street market below the castle, on a route between Bamberg and Kulmbach. The castle was rebuilt as a residence in 1555 and later used for storing grain. With the secularization of Bamberg's territories, Lichtenfels passed to Bavaria in the early nineteenth century.