Schnaittenbach: Kaolin History and Leisure

Schnaittenbach combines a defining history of kaolin with leisure and cultural activities. Guided tours are offered in the town’s herb garden, and the “Am Forst” leisure centre includes several facilities. Nearby, you’ll find the open-air stage at Buchberg. This gives you a clear choice of focus for your trip, between industrial history, garden tours and the leisure activities mentioned here.

Kaolin and Industrial History

In 1833, the impoverished bookkeeper Daniel Christoph Eduard Kick established a kaolin works in the barn of Johann Popp, the landlord of the Löwen inn in Schnaittenbach. In doing so, he laid the foundations for the kaolin industry in the Upper Palatinate. The founding story links a specific event in Schnaittenbach with the development of an entire industrial sector.

In the wider region, the GeoPark Kaolinrevier Hirschau–Schnaittenbach is a notable landmark. The kaolin mining area is the largest in Germany, and kaolin has been mined there since 1833. The GeoPark and mining area span Hirschau and Schnaittenbach. The GeoPark therefore adds the broader regional context of the kaolin mining area to the town’s history.

Things to Do in Schnaittenbach and the Surrounding Area

Guided tours are offered at the Schnaittenbach herb garden. You can request a private tour using an enquiry form and arrange an individual date this way. The “Am Forst” leisure centre in Schnaittenbach includes a natural swimming pool, a summer curling lane, a campsite, football pitches and tennis courts. Its facilities range from swimming and summer curling to sports grounds. Individual offerings may change over time, so check the latest information before your visit.

The open-air stage at Buchberg is located on the AS19 between Schnaittenbach and Hainstetten. The turn-offs and car park are signposted. Parking is free, and from there it’s about a five-minute walk to the stage. Check the operator’s information before setting off.

In the Wider Amberg-Sulzbach Destination

Beyond Schnaittenbach, the Amberg-Sulzbach destination offers further connections to mining and industrial history. The Eastern Bavaria Mining and Industry Museum at Theuern Cultural Castle researches and documents mining and industry in eastern Bavaria, keeping their history alive. The Erzweg trail also links sites with a mining tradition stretching back more than 1,000 years and passes through cultural and natural landscapes. Together, they offer a museum with a research and documentation remit and a route through cultural and natural areas.

The Amberg-Sulzbach region features imposing limestone cliffs, gentle Jura hills, extensive forests and picturesque river valleys. The 2.7-kilometre Felsenweg trail leads from Sackdilling through the rock labyrinth to the Bauernlöcher; the walk takes about 45 minutes. The Wacholderwanderweg is one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the Amberg-Sulzbach region. On regional cave hiking trails, entering the caves is prohibited from 1 October to 31 March.

For nature watching, the Theuern nature observation platform is located at the edge of the wastewater treatment plant’s polishing ponds. The adjacent wetland, with the River Vils, oxbow lakes and ponds, is a year-round resting and breeding site for local birds and those migrating from the north.

Culture and cuisine also offer a glimpse into Amberg-Sulzbach: since 2023, Kirwan have been part of Bavaria’s intangible cultural heritage. They are celebrated every year in the respective town and are open to visitors and local residents alike. Many inns regularly serve a traditional Schlachtschüssel feast. It includes Wurschtsuppn, boiled pork and sausages made to the inn’s own recipes, including blood sausage, liver sausage and bratwurst. Dates vary from one inn to another.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Birgland, Auerbach In Der Oberpfalz, Rieden, Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Edelsfeld, Ursensollen, Hohenburg, Schmidmühlen

Back to the main travel overview: Amberg-Sulzbach.