The quality of life and things worth seeing
Schwabach may not be able to claim the greatest architectural treasures of European culture but it offers some charming features of a typical Franconian town with its numerous well-preserved old buildings, the jewels which document the town’s rich history. The excellent restoration of Schwabach’s old town centre earned Schwabach the distinction in 1977 of becoming the first German town to be awarded the “Europa-Nostra Medal” for the conservation of European architectural and cultural heritage. The main highlights of the historical town centre are the splendid town church dating from 1495, the town hall built just in front of it in 1528, and the “Schöne Brunnen” (Beautiful Fountain) that was completed in 1717. The town church also houses one of the masterpieces of sacred art, the magnificent high altar created in the workshops of the Gothic painter Michael Wolgemuts. |
Cultural Amenities
Schwabach also has an array of cultural amenities (public library, galleries, puppet theatre, school of music, centre for adult education and the town archive). The town museum displays a large range of exhibits from the town’s past that are of both local and national significance, and it incorporates a unique Egg Museum showing one of the world famous Fabergé eggs. An attractive cultural programme every year focuses attention on a broad variety of subjects, for example as part of the series of events entitled “Kultur im Großraum” (Culture in the Conurbation) and in the Children’s Theatre series. And the Festival ORTUNG – our golden heritage, which is based on the town’s history of gilding work and which has been a resounding success in Schwabach now for the third year in succession.
Festivals and Partnerships
The annual highlight on the events calendar is the three-day Citizens’ Festival, a celebration of art and culinary delights which draws thousands of visitors into the town centre. And the partnerships with Schwabach’s three twinned towns, Les Sables d’Olonne/France (since 1975), Kemer/Turkey (since 1998) and Kalambaka/Greece (since 2002) also offer plentiful opportunities for celebrations.
Sports
The general trend towards a greater emphasis on leisure-time activities is a boon for a sporting town like Schwabach. Under the patronage of Schwabach’s Sport Association, the town’s 35 sporting clubs offer the opportunity to take part in 54 different kinds of sporting activities. The refurbished open-air swimming pool on the edge of the picturesque municipal park is a great attraction for local swimmers, but only 30 minutes’ drive away, the Franconian lake district offers a total of about 1,500 hectares of water, a paradise for all water-sports enthusiasts, particularly for surfers and sailors.
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Environment and Nature
Environmental protection and nature conservation have a long tradition in Schwabach, too. The new three-phase water purification plant, the pilot project bio-waste fermentation plant which was awarded the Bavarian Energy Prize in 1999, a variety of innovative installations for renewable energy, nomination for its model town ecology, participation in the European Architecture Competition Europan 5 and the Agenda-21 Process are just a few of Schwabach’s significant achievements. The programme for the protection of species and biotopes, and the countryside conservation activities all help to safeguard the fauna and flora in the green areas of the town as well as in the precious valley habitats and the charming open landscape and woods of the neighbouring areas.
In short: Schwabach is a lively, amiable town of a comprehensible size with all the advantages of a large urban area which, thanks to its close relationship with its natural environment and its forward-looking policies, can offer economic prosperity, the conservation of its vital natural resources and can meet all its citizens’ social needs.