Goldkronach between mining history and geology

Mining traces along the trails

The Humboldt Trail passes through the center of Goldkronach’s historic mining district. The well-signposted historic Alexander von Humboldt educational trail starts in Goldkronach and passes 40 mining sites. These include collapsed shafts, tunnel entrances, and spoil heaps. The number and type of sites give an impression of the mining traces covered along the trail.

Early gold extraction is also part of the town’s history. One exhibit at the Gold Mining Museum covers so-called “placer mining.” Before gold mining began in the early 14th century, placer gold was extracted from the Zoppatenbach stream near what later became Brandholz, as well as from streams in the Weißmaintal valley.

Geology in the museum and around town

The geological trail in the garden of the Gold Mining Museum begins at the “Franconian Line” and ends at the sandstone formations behind the information pavilion. It covers more than 400 million years of Earth’s history. Room 3, Geology, at the museum also explains the significance of the Franconian Line in the Goldkronach area; the geological history of development is depicted on a stone altar.

The historic rock cellars of Goldkronach are of cultural and historical interest and offer special geological insights into the town’s history. There are also 15 geo-points at places of interest throughout the town. Picture and information panels provide details about each site. This means geological topics are covered not only in the museum, but also at other locations around town.

An interactive QR tour takes you through Bad Berneck and Goldkronach. At each location, you can scan QR codes with a code reader or your camera; no advance download is needed. The codes link to stories, photos, and videos about each stop.

Visitor mines and gold panning

The Schmutzler adit was restored in 1981 and has been open to visitors for 35 meters since 1985. Visits to the Schmutzlerzeche and Mittlerer Name Gottes visitor mines are scheduled for Sundays and public holidays, except the Feast of the Assumption, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The season runs from May to mid-October. The last tour is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at the Schmutzlerzeche and 3:00 p.m. at the Mittlerer Name Gottes visitor mine. Check the current opening times before your visit.

At the information center in Goldkronach, an introduction to gold panning is offered on Sundays and public holidays, also except the Feast of the Assumption, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. between May and mid-October. It is also advisable to check the times in advance. This lets you include seasonal activities in your plans while keeping the stated time windows in mind.

Winter sports in the wider Bayreuth destination

The wider Bayreuth destination also includes winter sports on the Ochsenkopf. There is a 1,900-meter-long south-facing run and four groomed alpine ski runs. Some have snowmaking facilities and floodlighting until 10:00 p.m. These details put winter sports in the context of the Bayreuth destination and complement Goldkronach’s local attractions with a regional perspective.

Discover more destinations: Hollfeld, Weidenberg, Mehlmeisel, Warmensteinach, Fichtelberg, Bad Berneck in the Fichtelgebirge, Pegnitz, Waischenfeld.

View the wider travel overview: Bayreuth.