Glasmuseum Dorotheenhütte Wolfach

About the museum

The Dorotheenhütte in Wolfach in the Kinzig Valley was founded in 1947 by the entrepreneurs Kurt Petersen and Ummo Barthmann. It continues a centuries-old tradition: beech wood for potash, softwood for the melting furnaces and quartz sand once led to as many as a hundred glassworks being established in the Black Forest. Today the Dorotheenhütte is the last traditional glassworks in the region where crystal glass is still blown by mouth and cut, engraved and painted by hand.

Visitors can look over the shoulders of glassmakers, art glassblowers, cutters, engravers and glass painters in the production area. The adjoining glass museum with a small cinema takes visitors through about 2,000 years of glass history with display cases, information panels, tools, old moulds and parts of disused furnaces, from melting technology and raw materials to the locations of the Black Forest glassworks, and also shows modern uses of glass in medicine and music.

The site also includes a large factory outlet (“Gläserland”), a Christmas village decorated all year round with miniature nativity scenes and historic Christmas tree decorations, and the restaurant Hüttenklause. Manual glassmaking was added to the nationwide inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2015 and recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023.

Highlights

• Watch glassblowers, cutters and engravers at work
• Glass museum with about 2,000 years of glass history and a small cinema
• Hands-on activities such as blowing a glass lucky ball or engraving glass
• Year-round Christmas village with a miniature nativity scene exhibition
• Exhibition of historic Christmas tree decorations

Permanent exhibitions

• Glasmuseum – Display cases and information panels on about 2,000 years of glass history, raw materials, melting technology and the Black Forest glassworks, with tools, moulds and furnace parts.
• Kristallglashütte (Schauproduktion) – A look into the production of the last Black Forest crystal glassworks, where glass is mouth-blown, cut, engraved and painted.
• Weihnachtsdorf und Miniatur-Krippenausstellung – A Christmas world decorated all year round, with about 50 series of mouth-blown tree decorations, nativity scenes and historic Christmas tree decorations (free admission).

Founded

1947

Operated by

Dorotheenhütte Wolfach Kristallglas-Manufaktur GmbH

Admission & discounts

Admission covers the glass production and the glass museum; Gläserland (factory outlet), the Christmas village and the nativity scene exhibition are freely accessible. Hands-on activities are charged separately.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All rooms and paths through the production area, sales rooms and restaurant are barrier-free; large accessible toilet.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Children can blow, engrave or paint glass themselves; large play room for toddlers and a changing table in the restaurant restroom.

Getting there & parking

Satnav address: Glashüttenweg 4, 77709 Wolfach. From the A 5 (Offenburg exit) take the B 33 and B 294 towards Wolfach, following the “Glashütte” signs; coming from Schiltach/Freudenstadt, drive through the tunnel and take the Wolfach “Glashütte” exit.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Restaurant & café Hüttenklause with regional cuisine and a large summer terrace (groups please reserve); large factory outlet “Gläserland”; engraving and repair service for glasses.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit