1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Schömberg: Welcome to Happiness Town, Germany

04:59

This browser does not support the video element.

March 18, 2013

Germany boasts the strongest economy in Europe, and Germans have seen their individual material wealth increase over the past decade. But a recent study by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research shows that satisfaction hasn’t risen along with wages and wealth. That’s where the town of Schömberg comes in.

Schömberg, a small spa town tucked away in Germany’s Black Forest region, has long been a place where locals and visitors alike enjoy fresh air, idyllic landscapes and peace and quiet. But Schömberg's mayor wanted to cement the town's place in history as a happy haven. So local officials trademarked the name "Glücksgemeinde," or happiness town. It's the first of its kind in Germany.

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW