Schweinfurt is different – we can already reveal that much. Nowhere else in Franconia have we come to know a place where industry and art complement each other so well. Schweinfurt is known throughout Germany as one of the strongest business locations. What you notice a lot more as a tourist: In the city center there are a surprising number of surprisingly cool and surprisingly young spots.
We spent two days in Schweinfurt on our road trip through Franconia. In this blog article we will tell you about our favorite places, the most beautiful sights and our personal tips for Schweinfurt.
1. Why Schweinfurt surprised us Schweinfurt then. If you don’t inevitably think of lucky pigs when you hear the name of this city, please contact us (we’d love to know your associations with the word). The fact is: our thoughts weren’t that far away, because the city’s mascot is actually a pig. And: You will find different pig sculptures distributed throughout the city. (You shouldn’t miss one of them – but more on that in a moment.)
Back to the city: It’s hippier than you expected. And livelier. And incidentally owns two of the coolest museums in all of Franconia. You know what we’re getting at: Little Schweinfurt obviously can’t compete with Bamberg or Nuremberg when it comes to sights.
But there are other highlights. And what kind of! Two museums that are definitely worth seeing. And the most beautiful city beach you can imagine. And a lake, where you feel like you’re on vacation. In the Austrian city of Linz, we already know and love that industrial cities have a disproportionately large number of hotspots . It’s no different in Schweinfurt and that’s exactly why we felt so comfortable there.
2. Sights in Schweinfurt Honestly: The fact that there is no cathedral and no courtyard garden in Schweinfurt didn’t bother us at all – But on the contrary! Instead of rushing from sight to sight, we were able to take more time for the hidden alleys and pretty backyards.
We only saw many of the highlights in Schweinfurt at second glance Found: the old high school in a side street behind the market square, for example, or perhaps the most beautiful entrance in Schweinfurt near the Schrotturm. You can easily reach all the sights in Schweinfurt on foot. As always, we have marked the locations on a map, which you can find at the end of this blog article.
Market place with old town hall The best place to start exploring the city is on the market square. One of the most beautiful buildings in all of Schweinfurt is located there: the Old Town Hall. If we look at the facade like this, we are not surprised that the Old Town Hall is considered one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Germany. The Tourist Information is also located in the Old Town Hall – so if you have any questions during your city trip, you’re in good hands here.
Another tip: The market square is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays , Friday and Saturday the farmer’s market takes place. If you are a guest in Schweinfurt on one of these days, then drop by.
Scrap Tower You probably have the best panoramic view of Schweinfurt from the city’s landmark: the Schrottturm. It is located directly in the old town and was already built in 15. Century – at that time as a stair tower for the adjacent houses – built. Only later were five more floors added. Speaking of floors and stairs – we counted them: They are exactly 155 Steps that separate you from the top floor and thus from the best view over Schweinfurt. Sounds doable, doesn’t it?
The scrap tower is only accessible as part of a guided tour. Dates and information can be found on the Schweinfurt Tourismus website or directly in the Tourist Info at the market.
Zurich Our favorite district in Schweinfurt is definitely Zürch (or “die Zürch”, as it is usually means) – and that’s not just because of the flag chains, which provided even more flair during our visit. We have a soft spot for narrow streets, narrow houses and pretty window shutters – and there are a lot of those in Zurich.
By the way: There is also a figure of a certain pig here, which you shouldn’t be passed. Supposedly it brings good luck to rub the nose of the pig. Call us superstitious, but of course we didn’t miss it. You can find said sculpture at the address Burggasse .
3. Museums in Schweinfurt We really didn’t expect that: There are two of the greatest museums in Schweinfurt, in which we have been for a long time. We can warmly recommend both – and not only in rainy weather.
Museum Georg Schäfer The superlative is not exaggerated: In terms of architecture, the Georg Schäfer Museum is the greatest we have been to for a long time – at least in all of Franconia – were. Our photographer’s heart leaped for joy when we saw the purist stairwell made of wood and concrete. And so it happened that we stayed in the Georg Schäfer Museum much longer than our schedule would have allowed.
On display are works by German painters from 18. until the beginning of 17. Century. Among other things, the museum houses the largest Spitzweg collection. We’re not usually the type of person to stray into a museum on a short city break, but we highly recommend this one!
Address: Bridge Street 20, 2018 Schweinfurt
Kunsthalle Schweinfurt An art exhibition in a old swimming pool – need we say more? The Kunsthalle Schweinfurt is definitely worth a visit from an architectural point of view. The former Ernst-Sachs-Bad was extensively renovated and now houses various works and special exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.
Address: Rüfferstrasse 4, 2018 Schweinfurt
4. Excursions in Schweinfurt If you have a little more time in Schweinfurt or if you are more drawn to the countryside, then we can recommend two destinations that we both visited. A little tip: You can easily rent an e-bike for at the tourist information office in the market Borrow euros a day – best to reserve in advance!
Wildlife park at the oaks We quickly noticed: On their The people of Schweinfurt are particularly proud of the wildlife park. This extends just a few kilometers outside the city center on an area of 18 hectares. Around 500 Animals make their home in the park, including lynx and moose. For comparison (because we did a bit of research): This makes the wildlife park a bit larger than the highly acclaimed Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna. However, only a fraction of the animals are housed in Schweinfurt – and they have a lot more space!
We were allowed to take a tour of the grounds with wildlife park boss Thomas Leier and were very enthusiastic how much commitment he and his team run the wildlife park. If you are traveling with children in Schweinfurt, a visit to the wildlife park is a must. Also worth mentioning: Admission is completely free.
Address: Albin-Kitzinger-Strasse, 97421 Schweinfurt
Schweinfurter Baggersee 15 minutes swung on the bike – and whoosh, we have also been to a wonderfully idyllic bathing lake. A day at the quarry lake feels like a holiday: you can rent a pedal boat, take a walk around the lake or simply flex your toes get stuck in the sand and enjoy the view – yes, that’s right, sand. Because sand was piled up on a section of the bank of the quarry pond. Holiday feeling, yes, we say so.
No wonder, by the way, that the quarry pond is quite full on hot days, like the one we visited . But you can still find a quiet spot! We have marked the exact location of the quarry lake on the map at the end of the article.
5. Our favorite restaurants and cafés in Schweinfurt Soul & Bowl Welcome to breakfast heaven! Rarely have we had such a good breakfast on our Franconian tour as here. What we particularly liked: The kitchen staff outdid themselves when preparing the dishes. As is well known, the eye eats with you. Plus: the espresso macchiato was almost perfect.
The Soul & Bowl is a café, restaurant and bar all rolled into one. So you can also stop by in the evening for a drink or dinner. In front of the restaurant you sit very comfortably at wooden tables, inside it is more stylish.
Address: Bridge Street 17-21, 2017 Schweinfurt
Butcher’s Until 1962 housed the business premises in Spitalstrasse 19 a butcher’s shop, then a candy store found itself in it. 2017 the grandson took over one former employee of the butcher’s shop and turned it into a new scene meeting point. Cool thing: some of the floor and wall tiles are still in their original condition from yesteryear. Today the Fleischerei is a café bar with a small menu. We came here for lunch and are still raving about the avocado bread with homemade hummus.
Address: Spitalstrasse 20, 97421 Schweinfurt
Simply Life Café Shanghai meets Schweinfurt. The friendly and courteous owner is originally from China and has opened an enchanting café in Schweinfurt. Healthy, creative dishes are served – such as spinach waffles or smoothies. Coffee and cake are also available, so a visit in the afternoon is also worthwhile. The café is furnished with great attention to detail. Vo We have a clear recommendation!
Address: Apostelgasse , 97422 Schweinfurt
Stadtstrand One of our favorite places in Schweinfurt is the Stadtstrand. From the loungers you can look directly at the Main. When the weather is nice, we say, there is hardly a cozier place to enjoy the sunset. On the positive side, the city beach looks very well-kept and the music on the evening of our visit was really good.
Address: Am Unteren Marienbach 14
Turmle A wonderful place for dinner in Schweinfurt is the Türmle. The defense tower of the old city wall had meanwhile been left to decay. It has now been lovingly renovated and now houses a great restaurant and wine bar. Primarily tarte flambée and Franconian wines are served. With the beautiful ambience we would have expected higher prices, but we were surprised that almost no main course over 10 costs euros. Conclusion: Highly recommended!
Address: Am Unteren Wall 1, 97422 Schweinfurt
Chocolaterie Molina If you could die for chocolate like we do, then a visit to Chocolaterie Molina is an absolute must when visiting a Schweinfurt Visit. And if not: then too! The two owners were actually inspired by the film Chocolat. That means: the Chocolaterie should not only be a place for great chocolate (which it undoubtedly is), but also a meeting place where you can stay longer.
The shop is so lovely and thoughtful of every little detail – we haven’t seen anything like it very often! We tasted our way through the range of chocolates and despite 33 degrees outside temperature drank a hot chocolate – says it all, doesn’t it?
Address: Am Zeughaus 15, 2017 Schweinfurt
The small coffee roastery As caffeine lovers, we were spot on in the small coffee roastery. Here the coffee beans are roasted directly in the friendly café, which creates a great scent. At the back of the café there is a small green courtyard which is very nice to sit outside.
Address: Rückertstrasse 13, 2018 Schweinfurt
Brauhaus am Markt You might think that we only went to hipster shops and cafés in Schweinfurt. That’s not entirely true, because once we made an exception and sat down in the beer garden of the brewery on the market in a very traditional way. The inn was recently renovated and is also very cozy inside.
If you want to go all out, order Blaue Zipfel, a Franconian specialty, which you can see in the photo on the right. Bratwurst in onion vinegar broth – you have to like that! For the sake of completeness: We didn’t go all the way, we just tried it with our companion.
Address: Market 19, 97421 Schweinfurt
Weingut Dahms The fact that we were allowed to visit the Dahms winery was due to coincidence. Because the estate on the Peterstirn is only freely accessible two weeks a year – namely during the spring and summer wine festivals. On both dates, people celebrate and drink in the midst of the vines and with a view of the Main.
The place also has historical significance. Because on the Peterfront there is an old castle from the 10. century, which has now been lovingly renovated. The castle can be visited as part of an individual wine tasting (from 30 People).
Address: An der Peterstirn 4, 97422 Schweinfurt
6. Our hotel tip for Schweinfurt From the outside, the Hotel Stadtvilla Central may seem a bit inconspicuous, but inside it is really pretty to look at. First 853 that became Hotel reopened after a general renovation. The rooms are large, bright and furnished with lots of wood – just the way we like it. The hotel is located near the pedestrian zone, but is still very quiet. The Old Town Hall is just a few minutes’ walk away. There is also a small roof terrace on the top floor, where you can sit very comfortably, especially in the evening.
As there are several great breakfast places in the immediate vicinity, we did not try the hotel breakfast. All in all, the hotel was a positive surprise and we would come back anytime.
You can book the hotel here: Stadtvilla Central
Transparency: Advertising & Affiliate Links This blog article was created in cooperation with FrankenTourismus. We traveled as part of the campaign “14 cities” total 14 Franconian towns.
This blog article contains our personal recommendations in the form of so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something through the links, we will receive a small commission. For you, this does not change the price at all. A thousand thanks from both of us!
Have you ever ended up in Schweinfurt and do you perhaps have additional tips for Schweinfurt? Or are you also planning a road trip through Franconia and still have questions? Please leave us a comment – we look forward to it!
