Schönwald is a typical small town located in the North-Eastern most part of Bavaria and it is very close to the actual center of Europe.
It is a quiet town with the local porcelain factory as the primary employer. Staying here is not for those looking for parties and excitement every night, you will not find it here. You can find a good meal at a decent price and also enjoy a quiet, relaxing time with a beer or glass of wine.
But remember, that in the evening about 10 PM they roll up the sidewalks for the night (LOL), except when there is a local festival.
This town seems a little off-the-beaten-track, but with the Autobahn only minutes away the rest of this amazing area can easily be reached.
This makes it a perfect, affordable home base for a vacation in this region.
This is for the more outgoing, as the English language, though learned by almost everyone here in school, is not as commonly spoken, even understood, as in the region’s tourist traps. But if you try, you should be able to make yourself understood and even interact with locals for a rewarding experience.
The surrounding woods are ideal for hiking, Nordic Walking and in winter cross country skiing on well marked paths.
Home Base Schönwald:
Berlin, Munich and also Frankfurt am Main, 3 of the 5 largest German cities are less than a 3 hour drive away (in good traffic conditions).
With it’s close proximity to the Czech Republic the beautiful city of Prague is within easy reach.
So are Nuremberg, Bamberg and many of the region’s famous sights some of which you can find on our “Discover Bavaria” pages.
There are also many towns and places outside of Bavaria easily explored in a one day excursion.
and approximate driving times.
The local Porcelain Industry:
Factory outlets can be found in many locations around the region. You can buy sturdier commercial porcelain in this town and fine china from the famous brands like Rosenthal and Hutschenreuther in nearby Selb.
The home of the Hummel figurines close to Coburg is only 1½ hours away.
Many towns have smaller factories specializing in decorating and painting, where we found some beautiful, affordable beer mugs and plates.
You can also visit the porcelain museum in nearby Hohenberg and the interesting industry museum a couple of miles away in Selb-Plössberg.
The Porcelain Route:
The Porcelain’s influence is reflected by the 550 km long route encircling this area. Reaching from Bamberg to Coburg, Kronach, Ludwigstadt to Hof, Kirchenlamitz to Schoenwald over Selb zig-zagging down to Weiden and ending in Richard Wagner’s city of Bayreuth.
With many factory direct stores along the way, museums on the subject and uncountable beautiful, charming sights it is truly worth looking into what this route can offer.
The “Porcelain Route”, which has a good English website with all the towns along the road, the china factories located there and the factory outlets with their addresses and opening times.
It also lists the many museums dedicated to this craft.
For a more in things Porcelain click here.
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Vacation Destination
“Schönwald, Bavaria”