Discover Selb

Selb combines porcelain history with theatre culture and active leisure activities. A visit can take you from a disused factory with walk-in round kilns to a city tour, an evening at the theatre or the indoor swimming pool. Which of these aspects you focus on gives your trip to Selb its own direction.

Porcelain history in a former factory

The Porzellanikon Selb is housed in a former Rosenthal factory that closed in 1969. Today, around 9,000 m² of this repurposed industrial site are home to three museums: the European Industrial Museum for Porcelain, the Rosenthal Museum and the European Museum of Technical Ceramics. This means you can encounter several perspectives on porcelain and its industrial history at one location.

The Porzellanikon covers more than 8,000 m² and features old machinery, interactive exhibits, Rosenthal tableware, technical ceramics and a steam engine. Six of the ten imposing round kilns that once stood here have been fully preserved and can be entered. The exhibition thus brings together machinery and technical ceramics with tableware and the facilities that let you experience industrial history in its original setting.

Film, theatre and city views

Since 1977, the International Borderland Film Days have been held at SPEKTRUM Selb each year during the week after Easter. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for the specific edition. Another annual tradition is the presentation of the local porcelain industry at the Rosenthal Theatre under the theme “Weeks of White Gold”.

The Rosenthal Theatre is centrally located in Selb, on the slope of the Selbbach valley. Its programme includes operas, operettas, musicals, plays, symphony concerts, chamber concerts, jazz concerts and cabaret performances. For a specific show, it is worth checking the current programme.

A walk through Selb draws your attention to the art, culture, old, new and distinctive features of this porcelain and design city. You can start in person or virtually. On a guided city tour with a certified guide, the Porcelain Fountain on Martin-Luther-Platz and Porzellangässchen are along the way; there, you walk on porcelain.

Architecture also brings together art and a city walk: the Rosenthal head office building was given an artistic makeover by Otto Piene. Next to it is the Mirror House, with a mirrored façade designed by Marcello Morandini. You can discover both on a walk through Selb, adding striking works of public design to your view of the city.

Leisure activities for different kinds of day

Leisure facilities include a pump track and a skatepark. The asphalt pump track can be used with mountain bikes, BMX bikes, skateboards, scooters, inline skates, longboards and balance bikes. The range of activities listed shows just how many kinds of wheeled sports and leisure equipment are catered for; the skatepark is a separate facility.

The Selb indoor swimming pool in Rosenthal Park has a sports pool, adjoining non-swimmer pools with massage jets, and a children’s pool with an elephant slide. The different types of pools help you plan your visit around your own interests. Check the operator’s current visitor information before you go.

Plan your stay in Selb

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Discover more destinations

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