Pforzheim is the gateway to the northern Black Forest. However, the Gold City, as it is called because of its jewelry and watchmaking industry, is more of a beauty at second glance. On February 23, 1945, 98 percent of the city center was destroyed in just 20 minutes by an Allied air raid. In the following decades, numerous architects tried their hand in the city and built buildings that were revolutionary at the time. The city is therefore an open-air museum of architecture from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Green Gold
The Three Rivers City has much more to offer: With 83.5 percent green space, Pforzheim is one of the greenest cities in Germany. More than 100 kilometers of hiking trails within the city area invite visitors to enjoy nature. The hiking trails lead past Roman walls, mystical castle ruins and the three rivers Enz, Nagold and Würm. Even the oldest long-distance hiking trails in the Black Forest, the West, East and Middle Trails, start at the city's Golden Gate and lead all the way to Basel.
Also bicycle lovers get their money's worth here: no less than eight long-distance bike paths crisscross the city area, such as the popular Enztal Cycle Path, the Nagoldtal Cycle Path or the Black Forest Panorama Cycle Path.
Pforzheim's animal highlight is the Wildpark. Admission is free, and guests can even feed some of the animals. The forest climbing garden provides fun at great heights.
The gold town
Starting in the 18th century, girls and boys from the local orphanage were trained to make jewelry. The foundation stone for the jewelry and watch industry was laid. In its heyday, 90 percent of German jewelry was made in the Goldstadt. Today it is still 75 percent.
The jewelry museum in the Reuchlinhaus is a unique museum worldwide on the history of jewelry. Around 2,000 exhibits show jewelry art from five millennia, from antiquity to the present.
In the Technical Museum, the history of the traditional industry comes to life. Many work steps are demonstrated on historic machines.
In the Schütt gemstone exhibition, guests can marvel at the fascinating world of gemstones and crystals and discover many interesting facts.
In Europe's largest jewelry and watch store, the Schmuckwelten, pieces of jewelry can be admired and purchased. Right next door is the award-winning permanent exhibition "Gold.Geld.Gesellschaft", which reveals mysteries about gold.
Pforzheim is diversity
Eleven museums show exciting things from Roman times, about the city's most famous son, Johannis Reuchlin, from the GDR and much more. The Theater Pforzheim
offers a three-part program of music, drama and dance.
The hybrid city tours, where your smartphone or tablet guides you through the city, present numerous other facets of the city of gold.
Discover Pforzheim!
