Hof is a small city in the far north of Bavaria, close to the former inner-German border with what was East Germany. Before 1989, Hof was literally at the end of the line — the main railway from Munich and Nuremberg terminated here at a dead border. Reunification changed that: Hof is now a junction on routes north toward Leipzig and Berlin, but the city still carries a slightly peripheral character.
The city itself is modest — it is the sort of Bavarian town that tourists fly over on their way to Munich or the Alps. But it has some charm: a compact old town around the Klosterkirche, a covered market hall, and the Freiheitplatz at the centre. Hof is also known for its annual film festival, the Hofer Filmtage, which has been running since 1967 and has launched numerous German film careers including Wim Wenders.
Hof is a reasonable overnight stop for anyone crossing between Bavaria and Saxony, or exploring the Franconian highlands to the west.