Having fun with your fellow students after lectures and simply switching off from everyday student life – no problem in Hof, because there is so much on offer in the city on the Saale – whether culinary, cultural, sporting or simply to relax. We at Campuls.digital have summarized our top 10 best leisure activities in Hof for you.
1. Baths & Sauna
Whether in the cold season or in summer – what would a city be without swimming pools. The city on the Saale has two of them – the HofBad with adjacent sauna area and the Hof outdoor pool.
Until June 27, all water rats and wellness fans can take advantage of the indoor offerings of the HofBad. Those who want to swim laps can do so in the 25-meter pool. Those looking for relaxation will find it in the aroma steam bath or in the 36-degree whirlpool, and those who just want to have some fun should definitely try the 58-meter indoor water slide, the whitewater channel or the fun pool with water volcanoes and massage jets.
Further information can be found here: https://www.stadtwerke-hof.de/hofbad/
Right next to the HofBad is the HofSauna. The large sauna landscape with panorama sauna, Finnish sauna and rock sauna, a heat tunnel, experience showers and an ice fountain extends over two floors.
More information about the HofSauna can be found here: https://www.stadtwerke-hof.de/baeder/hofsauna/
The outdoor pool season starts this year on May 28 and here, too, all friends of the cool water will get their money’s worth on a total of 2,700m² of water surface. In addition to various pools, the 48,500m² area also features two 100-meter-long water slides, a 10-meter diving tower, a beach volleyball court and a basketball court, table tennis tables, a huge sunbathing lawn for all sun worshippers and, of course, a large bistro.
Here you can find the website of the Hofer Freibad: https://www.stadtwerke-hof.de/baeder/freibad/
2. Jump & Climb incl. Indoor Soccer
Action fans and adrenaline junkies watch out – this is exactly the right thing for you. If you want to work off your energy, you can do so in the Jump & Climb Arena near the Untreusee. In 9 different areas on 55 trampolines you can prove your endurance, fitness and courage.
You can climb high in the adjacent climbing hall. At heights of up to 10 meters, you can overcome your fear of heights on 26 different routes, climb synchronously or even against each other.
Right next door, in the soccer hall, all soccer fans get their money’s worth. Professional athletes as well as amateur soccer players can compete against each other on the artificial turf pitch. A little tip: For an extra dose of fun, you should definitely try out bubblesoccer.
You can get more information here: https://www.jumpandclimb.de/
3. Karting track
If you like Mario Kart on the Playstation, you’ll love the real kart track in Hof. A total of 7 karts are available for adults in the 1,000 square meter hall and invite you to play the next match against each other. You can rent the kart track for between 30 minutes and 4 hours. A little tip: If you want to really pull the wool over your opponents’ eyes during the race, you can book a training drive beforehand. However, the tracks cannot be booked spontaneously, so plan at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance so that nothing can go wrong on the day of the race.
More information about the go-kart track and bookings can be found here: https://www.konrads-kart.com/
4. Bowling & Billiards
Put on your bowling shoes, pick up the ball and the match can begin at the Strike bowling center in Hof. Important: You should reserve your lane online beforehand. Make a note of Tuesday, because Tuesday is student day and that means reduced prices on your lane – but don’t forget your student ID!
Wednesday attracts in the diner with special dishes and drinks at half price, Thursday is Moonlight Bowling announced, bowled there in the black light and with good music, party bowling is on Friday on the program and Saturday is alternately Girls / Men Night.
Here it goes to the side of the Bowlingcenter Strike: https://www.bowlingcenterstrike.de/
If you prefer smaller and lighter balls, you should pay a visit to the Magic 8 in Hof. In the large billiards area there are 11 tournament billiards tables and a snooker table, and you can also play darts, pinball and air field hockey. You can watch Bundesliga, Champions League and international matches live in the sports bar and if you just want to enjoy your beer or cocktail, you can do that in summer on the sun roof terrace. A little tip: Thursday is student day – that means reduced prices for an hour of billiards. And, of course, there is also catering for the physical well-being, because a large pizza buffet awaits you.
All information at a glance can be found here: http://falter-hof.de/
5. Municipal ice rink Eisteich & recreation area
Doing laps on your skates is possible at the covered ice rink in the middle of Hof. Even if it is currently summer break, from October to March the Eisteich, as the people of Hof call it, is an absolute must, whether for skating experts or beginners. Special events like the ice disco attract young and old to the artificial ice rink with hot beats.
By the way, the outdoor area is currently being expanded. In addition to the pump track, skate park and fitness course, a circuit for inline skaters will be built on the large area this year, as well as fistball and mulifunctional sports fields.
For more information about the ice pond and the outdoor area, click here: https://www.eisteich.de/
6. Cinemas & International Hof Film Festival
Of course, all cineastes will get their money’s worth in the Saale city, not only in one, but even in two different movie theaters, the Scala Kino and the Central Kino. By the way, all students can enjoy reduced prices on all blockbusters in both cinemas. Attention, savings foxes: Tuesday is movie day and that means you can admire your favorite actor or actress on the big screen even cheaper.
Click here for the websites of the two cinemas: https://www.kino-hof.de/ and https://scala-hof.de/
With a bit of luck, you can even meet the big film stars and celebrities in person in Hof, because every year in October, the “Who’s Who” of the German film scene gathers for a complete week in Hof – because the Saale city is not called the “Home of Films” for nothing. Stars such as Kida Khodr Ramadan (Vier Blocks), Fahri Yardım (jerks), Max von der Groeben (Fack ju Göhte) and Veronica Ferres (Saphirblau) pay the Saale city a visit. The reason for this is the international Hofer Filmtage, one of the most important film festivals in Germany. For 6 consecutive days, around 130 feature films, documentaries and short films are shown. Not to be neglected are the legendary Filmtage parties. So mark your calendars for October 25-30, when Hof will once again be the meeting place for actors, filmmakers and young talent.
By the way: If you want to know when exactly Hof will again become the Mecca of German film, you should take a look at Konrad-Adenauer-Platz. The film day column shows it exactly. Every day, 3 more small lights shine on the column. When the column is completely illuminated, it means that it’s film day time again.
Everything about the International Hof Film Festival can be found here: https://www.hofer-filmtage.com/de
7. Culture
But not only the film industry is regularly represented in Hof, also comedians like Chris Tall, Bülent Ceylan or Michael Mittermeier regularly make your laughing muscles quiver in the Freiheitshalle Hof. Musicians like Sido or Clueso have also stopped by in Hof on their tour. Make a note of June 18, when the legendary IN!DIE.musik festival will once again take place on the square in front of the Freiheitshalle, and Mark Forster will give a big open-air concert there on September 3.
More information here: https://www.freiheitshalle.de/de/index.html
Attention all theater fans: Of course, you won’t miss out either. Whether musical theater, drama, ballet or young theater, there is something for everyone at the Theater Hof.
You can find the current schedule here: https://www.theater-hof.de/
If you prefer to lose yourself in classical music, you should definitely visit a concert of the Hof Symphony Orchestra. But not only classical music is on the program here – with “Star Wars in Concert” the orchestra brings the great classics of the Star Wars universe to the stage.
Click here to visit the website of the Hof Symphony Orchestra: https://www.hofer-symphoniker.de/
8. Festivals
Hof and its surroundings are especially known for their lively festivals. Especially in the summer months, people unpack their traditional costumes and dance on the beer benches in the festival tents.
It starts with the Hofer Schlappentag, which is this year due to the current Coronalage, a Schlappenwoche. The Hofer Schlappen time takes place from 13 to 19 June. The Hofer Schlappentag is in the Saalestadt the national holiday par excellence and is always celebrated on the Monday after Whitsun. A tradition that dates back to 1432. A special strong beer, Schlappenbier, is brewed for the occasion. In addition, the Hofer Schlappentag is an intangible world cultural heritage site.
Everything you need to know about the Hofer Schlappentag can be found here: www.schlappentag.de
It continues with the Hofer Volksfest, which finally takes place again this year on the Volksfestplatz around the Freiheitshalle after a two-year break. Under the motto “Do triffst fei alla” it will be going on again for 10 days starting July 29. Rides, food stalls and a daily changing music program in the festival tent invite visitors from Hof and the surrounding area to celebrate and have fun.
You can find more information about the Hof Folk Festival here: www.hofer-volksfest.de
Somewhat smaller but at least as well-known and popular are the meadow festivals in Münchberg (district of Hof) and Selb (district of Wunsiedel), which can finally take place again this year after a two-year forced break. The only disadvantage: Both festivals take place at the same time, i.e. from July 8 to 11. But that doesn’t matter, because you can go to Münchberg on one day and Selb on the other.
9. Museums
If you prefer a little less hustle and bustle, you can visit one of the many museums in and around Hof.
If you want to learn more about the city of Hof, for example, you should pay a visit to the Bavarian Vogtland Museum. This is both Hof’s city museum and the regional museum for the Bavarian Vogtland. In addition to city and regional history, there is also a large naturopathy section and a section on “Refugees and Displaced Persons in Hof”.
You can get more information here: https://www.hof.de/hof/hof_deu/leben/museum-01.html
An absolute recommendation for all comic fans is the Erika Fuchs House in Schwarzenbach an der Saale (district of Hof). In Germany’s first comic museum, named after Erika Fuchs, who translated the stories from Duckburg into German for around four decades and lived in Schwarzenbach, you can immerse yourself in the world of Donald and Scrooge and learn about comics and the art of language.
Here is the way to Donald Duck and Co.: http://www.erika-fuchs.de/
You can learn more about German history in Mödlareuth, a small village that was once divided by the inner-German border. Today, there is a museum with an open-air exhibition that not only focuses on the Wall and barbed wire, but also on social and everyday history. By the way: Even today, the small village of Mödlareuth is “divided” in a certain way, because one half is Bavarian, the other Thuringian.
You can get more information about Mödlareuth here: https://moedlareuth.de/
The town of Selb (Wunsiedel district) used to be famous for its porcelain industry. And even today, 60 percent of European porcelain is produced in Selb. It is hardly surprising that a museum has been dedicated in honor of the “White Gold”. In the Porzellanikon you can immerse yourself in the history and production and learn more about the life of the porcelain makers. By the way: On August 6 and 7, the Porcelain Festival will take place again this year, including Europe’s largest porcelain flea market.
And here you can get to the site of the Porzillanikon: https://www.porzellanikon.org/
10. Culinary delights
And finally, of course, the culinary offer should not be neglected in our leisure tips. Around 300 gastronomic establishments, i.e. bars, restaurants and kiosks, invite you to dine deliciously in the city of Hof or to start one or the other pub crawl through Hof.
But if you’re studying in Hof, there’s one place you can’t miss (unless you’re a vegetarian): the Hof Wärtschlamo, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. Whether “Wienerla” or “Bauern”, at the Hofer Wärtschlamo, the “Wärscht” comes from the kettle “nei ins Laabla” and then directly into the hand. This is a profession that only exists in the city on the Saale and, if the city of Hof has its way, is now even to be included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural assets – the application is already in the works.
The Hof beef sausage, a special spread, is also a Hof original. in 2011, it was added to the register of typical regional specialties. As a result, the Hofer Rindfleischwurst is a protected geographical indication and may only be produced in the city of Hof and the district of Hof. So if you don’t try it here, nowhere else will you get the chance – and it’s worth it.
The original Hof beer also makes the Saale city a place of pleasure. Like the beef sausage, Hofer beer has been a protected geographical indication since 1998 and can be purchased at the two breweries in town, Brauerei Scherdel and Brauerei Meinel, and of course enjoyed in Hof’s numerous beer gardens.
