Pforzheim: Jewelry Art, City History and Nature
Accommodation in Pforzheim
Pforzheim combines jewelry art and city history with a distinctive industrial building, activities on the water and things to do in the forest. If you are looking for a hotel, first consider which of these themes you want to shape your stay: museums and exhibitions, an event at blackforestwave, or time at the wildlife park and on long-distance hiking trails. These different focuses make it easier to plan your trip.
Jewelry Art, Museums and City History
At the Jewelry Museum Pforzheim in the Reuchlinhaus, you can view around 2,000 jewelry art exhibits from different periods. The collection spans from antiquity to the present day. The City Museum covers a different period: it presents the history of Pforzheim from the Middle Ages through the postwar period. This offers two distinct ways to explore the city side by side—the development of jewelry art over long periods and a historical account of Pforzheim.
The Johannes Reuchlin Museum is dedicated to the Pforzheim humanist Johannes Reuchlin. Across four levels, it explores his origins, life, work and influence. The Pforzheim Gallery, located in the former Kollmar & Jourdan jewelry factory, offers another focus. It regularly presents changing exhibitions from the municipal art collection. The focus is on artists from the 19th to the 21st century who have ties to Pforzheim and the Northern Black Forest region. The exhibition program may change; check which exhibitions are currently on display before your trip.
The Archaeological Museum at Kappelhof displays numerous original finds from Pforzheim and the Enzkreis district. The archaeological site also includes the foundations of Roman residential buildings. This adds archaeological finds and Roman dwellings to the city’s historical themes.
Gasometer: Panorama and Industrial History
The Pforzheim Gasometer was built in 1912 and served as a balancing tank for Pforzheim’s gas supply for almost 100 years. Today, it is one of the last surviving bell-type gas holders in the state. The 3,000 m² giant circular painting AMAZONIA depicts different types of vegetation in the Amazon Basin and its complex ecosystem. You can view the panorama from a visitor tower on several levels. As exhibition content may change, check the current program before your visit.
Water, Wildlife Park and Forest Ropes Course
blackforestwave is located in the heart of Pforzheim in the Metzelgraben, a canal diverted from the Nagold between the Stadtgarten and Kupderdächle. Water levels affect operations. Non-members can book so-called Open Surf Days as surf slots online at certain events. Before your trip, check whether a suitable date is available and what booking conditions apply.
The wildlife park is set in a wooded landscape and gives visitors the chance to discover native and endangered animal species in a natural environment. Right next door is the forest ropes course, with ten courses reaching heights of up to 13 meters. Children aged six and older and adults can climb there. Seasonal operating details may vary; check them before your visit.
Getting Here and Long-Distance Hiking Trails
Pforzheim is easy to reach by train, car and bus. The main railway station is centrally located in the city. The Pforzheim Tourist Information Office is at Schloßberg 15–17 and is within walking distance of the station. As opening arrangements may change, check the current hours before visiting.
Pforzheim is a starting point for the Westweg, Mittelweg and Ostweg trails. If you are planning a hike, check current trail conditions and local signage. These three named long-distance hiking trails give your trip a specific outdoor focus; museums, exhibitions and the Gasometer offer other themes for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Sternenfels, Neuhausen, Ă–lbronn-DĂĽrrn, Ă–tisheim, NeuenbĂĽrg, Engelsbrand, Niefern-Ă–schelbronn, Maulbronn.
Go to the regional travel overview: Enzkreis.
