Zwickau between Automotive History and Musical Tradition

Zwickau can be explored through very different themes: the city tells the story of automotive history, Robert Schumann, and buildings from several centuries. The MuldeParadies also offers a leisure and activity area within the city. You can choose the focus of your trip yourself—from the history of technology, music, and architecture to time outdoors.

From August Horch to the Trabant

The August Horch Museum is located at the very site where the Audi company was founded. Since 2004, it has showcased Zwickau’s automotive history: from August Horch, Horch, and Audi to Auto Union, the Trabant, and today’s Volkswagen. Historic vehicles are displayed alongside staged scenes and fully functional machines with belt drives. The different forms of presentation accompany this long thematic journey without limiting it to individual vehicle models.

Anyone interested in the development of automobile manufacturing will find a clear arc here, from the early names Horch and Audi to later chapters in Zwickau’s history. The museum’s breadth makes it a possible focus of a trip in its own right; it can also be combined with the city’s other cultural and historical themes.

Robert Schumann and the History of Music

Robert Schumann was born on June 8, 1810, in the corner house on Zwickau’s Hauptmarkt. The Robert Schumann House preserves a Schumann collection with more than 4,000 original manuscripts. The ground floor also contains a chamber music hall where concerts are held. The birthplace, collection, and concert hall offer different ways to engage with the subject: from the biographical site and original manuscripts to live music in the hall. If you plan to attend a concert, it is worth including the relevant dates in your travel plans.

Buildings from Different Eras

The city’s architectural history also offers several distinct points of interest. The Priesterhäuser are among Germany’s oldest surviving urban residential buildings. The Gewandhaus was built between 1522 and 1525 and once served as the guild and trading house of the clothmakers’ guild. St. Mary’s Cathedral is one of the most significant hall churches of late Gothic architecture in Upper Saxony; visitors can see the winged altarpiece by Michael Wohlgemut there.

Other stops extend the historical span: Today’s gallery at Domhof opened in 1878 as an exhibition hall for the Zwickau Art Association. The ZWICKAU ART COLLECTIONS Max Pechstein Museum presents art and natural history collections in a listed building. Osterstein Castle was converted into a grand Renaissance palace between 1587 and 1590. Taken together, these places represent different functions and eras, from urban living and trade to art and castle architecture.

Open Spaces in Zwickau and the District

MuldeParadies is a leisure and activity area built over the B 93 tunnel. Its facilities include children’s playgrounds, benches, and a barbecue area. This offers a different kind of stay from the museums and historic buildings, with outdoor spaces for play and relaxation at its heart.

Looking beyond the city, the wider destination of Zwickau District offers further opportunities to explore the landscape. The district lies between the valley of the Zwickauer Mulde and the foothills of the Ore Mountains. Zwickau District currently has 14 FFH sites and two bird sanctuaries designated, covering a total area of about 2,200 hectares. The “Mulden- und Chemnitztal” landscape conservation area essentially encompasses the course of the Zwickauer Mulde between Zwickau and Wolkenburg and covers about 4,348 hectares.

The city and district also offer different scales when it comes to routes: the section of the Mulde embankment within Zwickau city limits is part of the 268-kilometer regional Mulderadwanderweg cycle route. The Muldendamm cycling and hiking trail is ideal for walking, cycling, jogging, hiking, and relaxing. The district also has an extensive network of marked hiking trails with rest areas and places to stop for refreshments; around 700 kilometers can be explored on foot.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Meerane, Hartenstein, Lichtentanne, Neukirchen/Pleiße, Reinsdorf, Niederfrohna, Waldenburg, Glauchau.

Go to the main travel overview: Zwickauer Land.