The area surrounding the gold town of Pforzheim has many local attractions and a variety of wellness facilities and cultural events which are popular with visitors. Culture lovers will enjoy a trip to the nearby UNESCO world heritage site of the Maulbronn Monastery Complex. And there's also the many charms of the northern Black Forest. Whether you're looking for culture in Hermann Hesse's hometown of Calw or total relaxation at the Palais Thermal, the Black Forest has something for everyone.Maulbronn Monastery Complex
Maulbronn Monastery was founded in 1147 and was a Cistercian abbey until 1537. Today it is one of the best preserved medieval abbey complexes north of the Alps. Located only 20km from Pforzheim, it is an ideal destination for culture lovers where you can discover all the styles and developmental stages of architecture from Romanesque to late Gothic. In the early 1990s the monastery complex was designated a UNESCO world heritage site. Every year at the beginning of December a Christmas market is held in the courtyard of the monastery.Hermann Hesse Museum
Hermann Hesse's hometown of Calw in the northern Black Forest is around 40km from Pforzheim. Hermann Hesse was awarded a Nobel prize for literature and was the most widely-read German language author of the 20th century. The museum has ten rooms filled with the most comprehensive collection of his works. Alongside the literary works there are also paintings on display, giving visitors an insight into Hermann Hesse the artist as well.Palais Thermal
In the 19th century kings and princes travelled to the Black Forest to be healed by its thermal waters or just to relax. Palais Thermal was built in Bad Wildbad, 25km south of Pforzheim, and became one of the most stylish bathing complexes in Europe. Guests can enjoy wellness treatments and forget their everyday stresses and strains in the former royal baths and in the sauna complex with its Roman steam bath, surrounded by a mix of neo-classical and art nouveau architecture.