Cham: Old Town, Art and Archaeology
If historical places, art and archaeology are important to you when choosing a destination, Cham offers several distinct themes. The Prehistoric Exhibition at the Cordonhaus presents the prehistory and early history of the municipality of Cham and its surrounding area. Distribution and find maps, archaeological finds and explanatory texts also cover traces of the first human activity and settlement in the Cham-Furth depression. Maps show where finds were discovered; other elements of the exhibition offer insights into different aspects of early history.
The Cordonhaus itself dates from the 16th century and is located along Cham’s inner city wall. Its distinctive features include an inner courtyard with arcades and a covered walkway, unique in Cham. The Cordonhaus Municipal Gallery Cham has a different focus: its changing exhibitions feature contemporary art, including works by regional artists as well as renowned artists from across Germany. In Cham, archaeological themes and changing perspectives in contemporary art therefore sit side by side, without telling the same story.
Museum SPUR and the History of the City
Museum SPUR is dedicated to the SPUR group. Its collection includes paintings, sculptures and works on paper from 1957 to 1965, associated with Abstract Expressionism and Art Informel. The museum thus offers another way to engage with art: the focus is on a particular group of artists, a clearly defined period and different forms of work. Since 1991, the museum has been housed in Cham’s former poorhouse and is run jointly by the city and the district of Cham.
The museum building is also part of the history of the place. It is late Gothic, lies on the River Regen, and its history dates back to the 16th century. This historical setting differs from the works of the SPUR group, which date from the mid-20th century. By considering the exhibition themes in context, visitors can explore both the art and the building’s long history.
Old Town and Getting Your Bearings
Cham is a city with a history of more than 1,000 years. A walking tour takes you through the historic old town, and the accompanying digital brochure is available to download. This gives you the option of planning the tour as a separate part of your time in Cham. While the exhibitions explore individual themes in depth, the tour focuses on the old town as a whole.
The Cham Tourist Information Office is located on the market square in the heart of the old town. It offers information materials in various languages, tickets for events and an interactive history of the city. As services may change, we recommend checking the latest information before your visit.
More Themes in the Wider Cham Destination
There are also different approaches to planning a trip beyond the city of Cham, in the wider Cham destination. In Furth im Wald, a town in the district of Cham, the Dragon Cave offers a tour with information about the town’s dragon story, the festival and the technology behind the dragon robot. The summer festival is part of the Drachenstich tradition. Check the operator’s latest visitor information before your visit.
In Rötz, also in the district of Cham, the Schwarzwihrberg nature forest reserve is part of the Schwarzwihrberg bei Rötz FFH site. This offers a different thematic focus from the museums and old-town walking tour in Cham. In Neukirchen beim Heiligen Blut, meanwhile, the Pilgrimage Museum is housed in the former Pflegschloss; its collection includes treasures from the archive of the pilgrimage church. These distinctive places broaden the picture of the wider Cham destination, without suggesting that their attractions are the same as those in the city of Cham.
Discover more destinations: Chammünster, Michelsneukirchen, Lohberg, Rötz, Chamerau, Runding, Miltach and Zell.
Back to the wider travel overview: Cham.
