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Zwiesel in Bayerischer Wald, Germany

Glass Production, Museum, and Route (Glassstraße) in the Bavarian Forest

Zwiesel in the Bayerischer Wald, Germany is at the heart of glass production in the Bavarian Forest with studios, factories, a museum, and the Glass Route (Glassstraße).

Zwiesel is the largest town in the area and a good base for exploring the various activities that the Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest) offers. Glass has been produced in the area since 1421 with Zwiesel having the largest concentration of studios and producers.

Zwiesel Tourist Office

Kurverwaltung Zwiesel, Stadtplatz 27, 94227 Zwiesel, tel 09922-840-523.

Sightseeing in Zwiesel, Germany

Glass in Zwiesel

Several glass producers in Zwiesel allow visits to the factory and artistic studios and sell finished products directly to the public. Some of the better-known ones include:

Glashütte Theresienthal, Theresienthal 25, tel 09922-5000930, ;

Ambiente Kristall Zwiesel, Röckkellerstraße 16, tel 09922-84-760;
and Zwiesel Kristallglas, Dr.-Schott-Straße 35, tel 09922-980.

Most studios are closed on Sundays.

The Theresienthaler Glasmuseum (Glass Museum), Schlösschen Theresienthal 15, tel 09922-1030, is around 2 km/1.2 miles north of the town center. The museum has a large collection of Bavarian Forest glass as well as exhibitions on the development of the industry. Opening hours are weekdays from 10 am to 2 pm, closing at 1 pm on Friday. Admission is €3.

Glassstraße / Glass Holiday Route in Germany

Glass has been produced in the Bavarian Forest for at least 700 years. It remains an important industry with numerous artists’ studios and mass producers.

The Glassstraße (Glass Route) is a 250-km/155-mile route through the Oberpfälzer (Upper Palatinate) and Bavarian Forests. The route passes by producers and museums.

Many studios welcome visitors, in some you may even try your own hand (or rather mouth) at it, while most have shops on premises.

Several museums have special glass sections but none can compare to the Glass Museum in Passau, the largest museum of glass in the world.

The Waldmuseum Zwiesel (Forest Museum), Stadtplatz 29, tel 09922-840-583, is behind the Rathaus and has an eclectic collection of items related to the history and traditions of the area. It is particularly noted for the glass exhibition of items produced by the local glass-blowing school. Opening hours are mid-May to mid-October on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm and weekend from 10 am to noon and 2 to 4 pm. From mid-October to mid-May, it is open daily from 10 am to noon and additionally from 2 to 5 pm on weekdays. Admission is €2.50.

Nearby is the Spielzeugmuseum (Toy Museum), Prälat-Neun-Straße 4 (Oberer Stadtplatz), tel 09922-5526. It has a collection of toys from the previous two centuries with an assortment of mechanical toys. Opening hours are mid-December to early November, daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is €3.

Next:

Bodenmais - Silberberg Mines & Arber Peak
Regen - Burg Weißenstein & Glass Forest
Cham - Festivals, Churches & the Marseillaise
Hotels & Restaurants

23 February 2008