Frohnauer Hammer is one of Germany's oldest and best-preserved industrial monuments - a historic water-powered forge in Frohnau, now part of Annaberg-Buchholz. It houses Germany's oldest blacksmithing museum, where original 17th-century machinery can still be seen in operation.

The complex sits along the Sehma river, surrounded by the gentle valleys and wooded hills typical of the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge). Stepping inside feels like traveling back to the proto-industrial era - the timber-framed baroque hammer mill house, the creaking waterwheel, and the smell of old wood all create a distinctive atmosphere. In spring and summer the surrounding area invites hikers onto the Erzgebirge trails, autumn brings colorful forests, and winter snow adds extra charm to this historic corner.

How to get there

• Annaberg-Buchholz — easy access by local road to Frohnau, also reachable on foot from the town center in about 20-30 minutes
• Regional Erzgebirge hiking trails passing through Frohnau allow visitors to include the site as part of a longer walk

Practical information

• Blacksmithing museum open since 1909, Saxony's first technical monument (since 1907)
• Three tail hammers weighing 100, 200, and 250 kg, powered by a waterwheel, with impact force up to 12 t
• An outdoor steam-powered forging hammer from 1918, made by Richard Hartmann of Chemnitz, is on display
• The complex includes the hammer mill house with a restaurant and a lace-making room
• Part of the Ore Mountains Mining Region/Krušnohoří, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019

Interestingly, mining courts were once held in the garden of the mill that later became this forge, following the discovery of silver at the Schreckenberg in 1491 - linking the site directly to the beginnings of silver mining in the Annaberg region.