Jewellery art from antiquity to the present, a panorama of the Amazon Basin and experiences in the forest reveal different sides of Pforzheim. To plan your visit, you can decide whether to focus on museums and city history, a large-scale panorama or outdoor activities.
Jewellery, City History and Art
The Pforzheim Jewellery Museum in the Reuchlinhaus displays around 2,000 jewellery art exhibits, from antiquity to the present. This spans a broad period, while the City Museum offers a different perspective on the past: it presents Pforzheim’s history from the Middle Ages to the post-war period. If you are interested in a particular historical figure, the Johannes Reuchlin Museum explores the origins, life, work and influence of the Pforzheim humanist across four floors.
The Pforzheim Gallery also connects a specific location with artistic links to the city and region. It is housed in the former Kollmar & Jourdan jewellery factory and regularly presents changing exhibitions from the municipal art collection. The focus is on artists from the 19th to the 21st century who have a connection to Pforzheim and the Northern Black Forest. As the exhibition programme changes, it is worth checking the current exhibitions before your visit.
At the Archaeological Museum at Kappelhof, you can see original finds from Pforzheim and the Enzkreis at an archaeological site featuring the foundations of Roman dwellings. Together with the City Museum and Reuchlin Museum, this offers a change of pace between archaeological traces, several centuries of city history and the life of an individual historical figure.
Gasometer: Industrial History and Panorama
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-shaped gas holders in the state. The building’s industrial history is one distinct aspect of a visit that also focuses on the panorama shown inside.
The 3,000 m² giant circular painting AMAZONIA depicts different types of vegetation in the Amazon Basin and its complex ecosystem. From the viewing tower, you can take in the panorama on several levels. As exhibition content may change with the programme, check what is currently on display before your visit.
Surfing, Wildlife Park and High Ropes Course
Right in the centre of Pforzheim, blackforestwave is located in the Metzelgraben, a canal diverted from the Nagold between Stadtgarten and Kupderdächle. Operations are affected by water levels. Non-members can reserve bookable surf slots online at certain events known as Open Surf Days. Check event dates and booking conditions before travelling.
Another focus is the forest: Pforzheim Wildlife Park lies in an idyllic woodland setting and offers the chance to encounter native and endangered animal species in a natural environment. The forest high ropes course is right next to the wildlife park. It has ten courses reaching heights of up to 13 metres; children aged six and over and adults can climb. Seasonal operating details may vary, so it is a good idea to check them before your visit.
Getting Here and a Starting Point for Hikes
Pforzheim is easy to reach by train, car and bus; the main railway station is centrally located in the city. The tourist information office is at Schloßberg 15–17 and is within walking distance of the station. As opening hours may change, it is best to check the latest hours before your visit.
Pforzheim is also a starting point for the long-distance hiking trails Westweg, Mittelweg and Ostweg. If you are planning a hike, check the route, trail markings and local conditions.
Pforzheim and the Enzkreis: Distinguishing City and Region
The Enzkreis lies in the Northern Black Forest region in the heart of Baden-Württemberg, between the metropolitan areas of Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, and surrounds the independent city of Pforzheim. Its landscapes are varied: the north-west belongs to the Kraichgau, where fields, meadows and vineyards define the scenery. In the Stromberg, wooded heights give way to gentle valleys and sunny vineyards. In the Heckengäu, juniper heaths and blackthorn and hawthorn hedges shape the more rugged landscape; in the south-west, the Northern Black Forest opens up with fir forests, woodland meadows, plateaus and narrow valleys.
Discover more destinations: Wimsheim, Friolzheim, Maulbronn, Knittlingen, Niefern-Öschelbronn, Neuhausen, Kieselbronn, Mönsheim.
To the regional travel overview: Enzkreis.
