Bubenreuth: Violin-Making History, Sculptures and the Floodwater Trail

Violin-Making History and Remembrance

After the Second World War, more than 2,000 musical instrument makers from the Saxon-Bohemian musical region found a new home in Bubenreuth. The town subsequently developed into a European centre for string instrument making. The violin makers’ memorial commemorates this history and the origins of many violin makers: they came from Schönbach, from where many were expelled after the Second World War. The memorial was unveiled in a solemn ceremony on 6 July 1969, during the 650th anniversary celebrations of Schönbach’s elevation to town status—Schönbach is now Luby in the CSR.

The Bubenreutheum in Bubenreuth Town Hall offers another perspective. Its permanent exhibition, covering 80 square metres, is devoted to music and integration. It also makes it possible to connect the history of string instrument making with the question of how people and their traditions have shaped the town.

Two sculptures in Geigerstraße depict the Geiger counter in different ways. The standing figure shows the professor developing the device; the seated figure holds a modern Geiger counter. The contrast between its development and the present-day device makes the two works a distinctive feature of the streetscape.

Churches and a Seasonal Trail

Bubenreuth’s three churches are the Protestant St Luke’s Church, the old Catholic St Joseph’s Church and the new Catholic parish church of the Visitation of Mary. The names distinguish the Protestant church from the two Catholic churches; the terms “old” and “new” also distinguish the two Catholic churches from each other. If you are interested in local churches and their different names, these are three clearly identified stops.

The Bubenreuth Floodwater Trail introduces a nature theme. It is particularly lovely in early summer; caution is advised when it is icy in winter. These seasonal notes give you specific guidance for choosing when to travel. This way, year-round cultural themes sit alongside a trail with an explicitly seasonal character, so you do not have to limit yourself to just one kind of discovery.

More to Explore in the Erlangen-Höchstadt Destination

The wider Erlangen-Höchstadt destination offers further cultural and nature-related attractions beyond Bubenreuth. In Kalchreuth, St Andrew’s Church houses a famous Passion altarpiece: a carved altar with hinged wings by Michael Wolgemut, one of Dürer’s teachers. A three-kilometre circular trail also runs through the Kalchreuth cherry orchards. Information boards cover cherries, the surrounding landscape and Kalchreuth, while interactive stations focus on nature. If you would like to take account of both culture and information about the landscape and nature when planning your trip, you can compare these two themes.

In Höchstadt, the Spix Museum, housed in the birthplace of naturalist Johann Baptist Ritter von Spix, uses interactive exhibits to present his life and the history of the house. These include a computer-controlled, light-operated rainforest diorama with animal depictions and animal sounds, which is particularly recommended for children. This makes a visit to the museum thematically different from Bubenreuth’s stories of instruments and integration. Which aspects you give greater weight to can help shape your search for a holiday apartment in the destination.

Discover more destinations: Röttenbach, Baiersdorf, Hemhofen, Kalchreuth, Heroldsberg, Eckental, Heßdorf, Wachenroth

View the broader travel overview: Erlangen-Höchstadt.