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Home Page > Travelogues > Germany > Baden-Württemberg > Pforzheim

Situated at the north end of the Black Forest and sitting at the junction of the Enz and Nagold Rivers, Pforzheim is in a perfect place to serve as a commercial center and tourist attraction... and it has taken these to the fullest advantage.  Pforzheim will keep both the shopper and sightseer occupied for a long time!

The Pforzheim Hauptbahnhof rises well above the rivers to the north, but the walk down winds through several of the towns landmarks, such as the Evangelische Michaelsgemeinde, shown below with the flowers of the Barfüßerplatz in the foreground.

The Barfüßerplatz is so-named because of the Barfüßerkirche located behind where the above picture was shot.  The platz is very large and wide, and sports a number of flower gardens.  Another beautiful building found here is the Polizei Building which its very ornate tower, shown below.

One of the paths leading down the hill to the rivers is especially wide.  This is called the Alter Schloßgasse, and it leads to one of several major marktplatzes in the city.  On this day, the main Marktplatz was undergoing preparations for the city's annual festival.  To the west, past a major line of shops, is Leopoldplatz, just about the largest bus depot I've ever seen -- surrounded by a number of major department stores and outlet malls.

One of the smaller marktplatzes is shown here -- it is called the Platz am 23  Februar 1945, in commemoration of the day the city with liberated by the Allies at the end of World War II.

The rivers have been forded into clean canals running west to east through the city, such as with the Enz shown here.  

There are several artificial side canals that parallel both the Nagold and Enz rivers as they pass through the city, and they are followed by numerous pedestrial and cyclist paths.  They are also graced by several landmarks -- such as the Katholische Kirchegemeinde Herz-Jesu, a brilliant domed church, the Flösser statue in the middle of one of the many bridges crossing the Enz, and the below structure -- the Emma Jaeger Bad Althalle or Emma Jaegar old bath house.

Following the Nagold to the south, one will come across a beautiful city park with a jewelry museum and flower garden, and further down one will find a zoo.  Following the Enz to the west, one will find the beautiful Melanchtonhaus.  Going south near the Jahnstrasse, one will find Pforzheim's first brauhaus, the Hopfen Schlingel, with its biergarten built into a fork in a major road!  And finally, to the north, one will find the Gottedienst St. Franziskus church (shown below).

In all, this was one of the more fascinating day trips I'd taken in southwest Germany, and comes highly recommended to you, the hopeful traveler!

Pforzheim -- a beautiful city with everything to offer!

Trip taken 4 July 2001 -- Page last updated 08 April 2006 -- (C) 2001 Tom Galvin