Silver Trail: Art meets Silver City experience
Adventure trail with silver sculptures opened
A silver tour leads through the Silver City Freiberg: the first nine figures on the new adventure trail have "dropped their covers" in recent weeks. The "Explorer" on Schloßplatz and the "Tower Watchman" at Petrichurch marked the start of an exciting new tour through Freiberg's beautiful historic old town. This was followed in May by the "Actress" at Buttermarkt in front of the theatre and the "Happy Miner" at Schüppchenberg. On June 20, "Otto's Lion" at the town hall, the "Night Watchman" at the Donatstower, the "Baker of Eierschecke cake" at the city wall and "Inventor of sustainability" were added. On June 28, "The Scientist" followed at the TU Bergakademei in Prüferstraße.
"With the Silver Trail, we are now offering a second great adventure trail through our beautiful historic old town alongside the family Discovery Trail," invites Sven Krüger, Lord Mayor of Freiberg. "A great project that helps to make our Silver City and the topic of silver even more "tangible", simply unique."
The app for the Silver Trail: with quiz and information
The "Silberstadt® Freiberg" app complements both adventure trails digitally. It accompanies both the "Discovery Trail" and the "Silver Trail". Information about the city, its exciting history and personalities is supplemented by videos, games and tips for explorers, allowing to expirience the history of Freiberg directly on site.
Download for free
free Wifi available at
Schloßplatz | Tourist Information | Obermarkt
Route & Stations
An experience for the whole family
- Start/finish: Schloßplatz at the city model
- 9 stations with silver figures
- Route: approx. 3 km well developed (suitable for strollers)
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours
- Search game: Where is "Silvie" the mouse hiding?
- Accompanying app with videos, information, games, quiz
- passes playgrounds, the city wall and ice cream parlors
Nine stations are already in place
Step by step, the city of Freiberg erected a total of nine larger-than-life silver figures by the end of June. They were all created by artists who were chosen in an art competition. Two more figures will follow. "Electress Anna" will be added in the summer - near the cathedral and the City and Mining Museum.
The Silver Trail through Freiberg's medieval old town is approximately three kilometre long an connects numerous sights and promises mining and city history to touch, photograph and experience. The circular route can be completed in around 60 to 120 minutes and is particularly suitable for families. It also passes to green areas, places to rest and playgrounds.
The project is being implemented with numerous partners who are bringing the individual stations to life. These include the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, the Freiberg City and Mining Museum, the Gottfried Silbermann Society, the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral Parish of Freiberg, the Freiberg Tourist Association, the Historical Freiberg Mining and Metallurgical Society, the Freiberg Children's and Youth Parliament, the Central Saxon Theatre and Petrichurch.
Project idea & funding
The Silver Trail is part of the marketing concept of the Silver City Freiberg, in which, among other things, the ability to experience the theme of "silver" in Freiberg's old town is defined as a focal point. It is part of a project to create two new city experience trails: the Silver Trail and the Freiberg Discovery Trail, which will be completed in 2023. In combination with and as a supplement to existing tours, this will create a diverse touring landscape in Freiberg. The total costs for both adventure trails currently amount to 912,500 euros.
The design and implementation of the two adventure trails are co-financed by taxpayers' money on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon state parliament. Funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection is based on the budget approved by the German Bundestag.
Art competition for the silver Trail
At the beginning of April 2022, the Freiberg launched the "Skulpturenpfad Silberstadtweg Freiberg" art competition for the design of the Silver Trail. Artists from all over Germany were invited to submit their designs for the sculptures on the path. The motifs to be depicted were specified, including professions, historical figures and a lion for the Obermarkt. One detail will be found in all the figures: a little mouse. It connects all the sculptures as a playful element.
49 artists from Germany and Austria took part in the competition. Following a pre-selection process, 24 artists were selected to design their figure as a model in order to receive at least two designs for each location. In September 2022, the jury met with representatives of the city council, the urban development working group, the Freiberg Art Association and the top management to select the winners. The winning artists come from Berlin, Bannewitz, Dahemtal, Munich, Glauchau, Königswalde, Mönchengladbach, Bad Schlema and Dresden. The winning models were exhibited as 1:10 scale miniatures in the town hall in 2022.