Summer in the Swabian Museums

A place and museum for living garden culture... Fruit-laden trees, lush flowers and green lawns - have you already been bitten by the gardening bug? Or are you still "green behind the ears" when it comes to garden culture and would like to finally get the notorious "green thumb"? Then the Museum der Gartenkultur (Museum of garden culture) is a veritable treasure trove of ancient knowledge about plants and their significance, gardens, horticulture and landscape architecture, as well as modern findings in ecology and botany. Nostalgia and sustainability - both can be experienced here.

Gardening and a passion for collecting thrive in and around the museum...

An Ark for Plant Diversity...

Take a stroll through the green chambers of the Illertissen cattle pasture. On the expansive grounds, surrounded by meadows and fields, enchanting plant cabinets have been arranged in geometric patterns within the museum gardens. Each is dedicated to a specific theme: espaliered fruit, vegetables, berry bushes, hazelnuts, roses, perennials, summer flowers, climbing plants, water lilies, willow weaving plants, and much more.

For a special treat in the greenery, we highly recommend the museum café. With a cup of coffee or a piece of homemade cake, you can reflect on your experiences and observations, and bring your day to a delightful close.

Both honey and joy can be found at the Karl-Aug.-Forster- Bienenmuseum (Bee Museum). The fairytale Vöhlin Castle is actually buzzing and humming, because in summer a queen bee and her court move into a glass showcase - your opportunity to take a close look at the hustle and bustle of a bee colony without running the risk of being stung.

In the adjoining exhibition rooms, young and old bee researchers can go on a voyage of discovery: here, 50 million-year-old prehistoric bees in amber, beekeeping equipment and graphics from six centuries tell of the cultural history, biology and breeding of the honey bee, but also of the development of beekeeping from the ancient Egyptians to the present day.

The “Illertiss bee trail” is recommended for hiking enthusiasts and nature lovers. The circular trail can be started at the bee museum and leads past several refreshment stops and a large playground.

People leave their mark in different ways, whether architecturally, by craftsmanship or in the form of living culture. The people of Illertissen have also left their mark, making the town what it is today. Under the motto "Stories and History", the Illertissen Museum takes you on an entertaining journey through the centuries to discover not only the diversity of the town but also some of its inhabitants.

A special eye-catcher awaits you in the Forum. The "Object Planet" looks like a modern work of art in its own right. In fact, the individual display cases contain many exhibits from Illertissen that were brought to the museum by (former) residents, including a number of exciting biographies...

However, the work of farmers has always been one of the most arduous. Especially before industrialisation, when the majority of field work still had to be done with muscle power. But even then, people knew how to help themselves. You can find out how at the Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum (Farm Museum) Illerbeuren - the oldest open-air museum in southern Germany. Over 30 historical buildings - solid and half-timbered structures as well as houses made entirely of wood - provide an overview of the building methods used in Bavarian Swabia from the 17th century onwards. Stroll past many a romantic cottage garden, walk across wonderfully fragrant orchards and discover old breeds of domestic animals, some of which are threatened with extinction, such as the Bavarian goose, the Augsburg chicken or the Hällische Landschwein pig.

Our tip: the ceramics workshop is open daily and will amaze you with its fabulous variety of genuine craftsmanship! The baker and wood turner are also regularly on the museum grounds!

But this was not always the case - in the past, clocks were still true treasures and were often passed down from generation to generation. Friedberg was to a certain extent one of the birthplaces of clock production in Germany. In addition to the history of Friedberg Castle and the town, the Museum im Wittelsbacher Schloss (Museum in the Wittelsbach Castle) therefore focuses on the presentation of internationally important Friedberg clocks.

Friedberg Clocks

Did you know that Friedberg clocks used to be a kind of export hit and were shipped throughout the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and even to the Ottoman Empire?

Manufactory for Faience

In the 18th century, another branch of industry developed in Friedberg for a short time alongside clockmaking: Elector Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria had a manufactory for faience - earthenware with a white opaque glaze - set up in the rooms of Friedberg Castle in 1754. However, as the manufactory only existed for a few years, the Friedberg faiences are extremely rare.

Archaeology

Further highlights of the new exhibition are provided by the Department of Archaeology with nationally significant finds from the Stone and Bronze Ages to the Romans and the early Middle Ages.

Pilgrimage and Sacred art

The theme of “Pilgrimage and Sacred Art” is also presented in the museum. The city boasts an impressive concentration of pilgrimage sites, with three pilgrimage churches. This connection is illustrated in the museum through the example of the Herrgottsruh pilgrimage and the pilgrimage to St. Afra in the Fields.

It is a fad of our time to travel as far away as possible to get to know nature better. Yet there is still so much to discover and, above all, to learn, especially in Bavaria. The extensive collection of the naturalist Dr Heinz Fischer (1911-1991) formed the basis for the Naturmuseum Königsbrunn (Nature Museum Königsbrunn), which is dedicated to the flora, fauna and geology of the Lechfeld region. Individual themed areas such as "Evolution" or the habitats "Forest - Meadow - Water" bring you closer to the local habitat, but also the effects of human intervention in nature.

A large Lech diorama, for example, shows the Lech as an original wild river and thus makes the far-reaching consequences of the river straightening of the 20th century vividly recognisable. These also affect the surrounding heathland, which is another thematic focus of the museum. Fischer also focussed on insects from all over the world, which can be admired in a large number of display cases.

Museums in the countryside - you can find more summer excursion tips here: Midsummer Night's Dream - 4 of Bavaria's most beautiful castles and "Nature itself was the master builder" - picturesque parks and gardens in Bavaria

Nathalie Schwaiger & Melina Rauh