Discover Schwabach: Gold History and Culture

Schwabach offers several themes to consider when planning a stay: the history of gold beating, religious art, Jewish history, and trails close to the city. You can weigh up which of these should shape your visit by considering the specific places and activities on offer. If you’re planning to attend guided tours or events with fixed dates, checking the latest schedule is part of preparing for your trip.

Gold Beating and Craftsmanship

The Goldbox is at the center of the permanent exhibition on Schwabach’s internationally significant craft and industrial history. Its focus is gold leaf beating. The Goldbox includes a demonstration theater and a historic gold beaters’ workshop. Behind a shop window, the gold beaters’ demonstration workshop shows the individual steps, from gold bar to wafer-thin gold leaf, including trimming and packaging. It is near the market square and the pedestrian zone.

Demonstrations also highlight the production process: on special occasions, a master gold beater still beats gold in the demonstration workshop, for example at the Bürgerfest, the church festival, or during the Christmas market. Demonstrations by gold beaters are scheduled at the town museum on the first Saturday of each month at 2 and 4 p.m.; no advance registration is required. Before your visit, check whether these sessions are currently being offered.

Church Art and Jewish History

The Protestant Church of St. John and St. Martin is one of Schwabach’s landmarks. It preserves mostly original art treasures from the time it was built in the 15th century. Among its outstanding works is a magnificent high altar from the workshop of Michael Wolgemut, one of the largest double-winged altarpieces of the late Gothic period in Bavaria. The Mönchshof, in turn, is Schwabach’s largest historic courtyard complex and has been known as the Mönchshof since 1195.

The Jewish Museum Franconia in Schwabach puts the historic building itself at the center of its exhibition. Exhibition sections, animated films, and listening stations present the history of the house and its residents, Jewish life in Schwabach, and the Feast of Tabernacles. A free app also lets you take a self-guided tour through Synagogengasse and the former Jewish center of Schwabach.

Nature Trails in the City

The Schwabach nature walk, located close to the city, has 14 information boards, seating areas, and children’s playgrounds. The route combines information along the way with places to stop and rest. The sand pits of Wolkersdorf are the only habitat in the city of Schwabach of significance at the state level.

Another route description is provided for the Schwabach educational trail: it runs across Wöhrwiese, along the Nadlersbach, up Gartenstraße, and back into the city through Weingässchen. In 2010, it received four new interactive stations and new signs. The routes thus differ even in their described itineraries: the nature walk focuses on information boards and facilities along the way, while the educational trail connects specific streets and places.

Plan for the Museum and Event Dates

The Schwabach Town Museum displays a collection of natural history and ethnographic eggs that is unique in Europe. It also offers children a 60-minute guided tour, “From Gold to Gold Leaf.” The tour takes place by appointment and is intended for a maximum of 25 participants. Before your trip, check whether the tour is available on your preferred date.

If you’d like to combine your stay with a festival, consider the Goldschlägernacht: it has been celebrated every two years as a “golden festival” for more than 20 years. Check the specific event dates before planning your trip around it. This lets you choose museum activities, exploring the city, and a possible event based on the topics that interest you most.

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See the overview of destinations: Roth.