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Open-Air Museums in Bavaria

The Bavarian open-air museums were created in the 1960s and 1970s for a similar reason: Because there was no protection of historic sites yet, many old buildings and farms in the Free State were demolished. In order to save some particularly beautiful houses and preserve the rural culture, the farms were rebuilt on vacant lots.

A cottage garden planted with various types of cabbage is located in front of three historic half-timbered houses
A cottage garden in front of historic half-timbered houses at the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen) © Rudi Merkl

In 2019, these houses joined forces to form the network “Open-Air Museums in Bavaria”. With workshops, holiday programmes, craft demonstrations and themed walks, they invite families with children and adults of all ages to explore topics such as sustainability, resource-efficient economic management, inclusion and social interaction. Here we present the eight museums in the network and their thematic focus in more detail.

Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate)

A garden in front of a building in the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate)
A garden in front of a building in the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate) © Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz 
A flock of sheep at the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate)
A flock of sheep at the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate) © Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz 
Buildings in the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate)
The Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate) © Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz 

The approximately 50 reconstructed buildings of the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate) show building, living and farming in the Upper Palatinate. The museum grounds are still farmed using traditional methods, keeping old cultivation techniques alive. Numerous historic breeds of domestic animals can be seen here.

Focus: Ecology

As a state-recognised environmental station, the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate) is an important provider of environmental education. During guided tours and workshops for adults, families and children, you can explore the various habitats such as the museum gardens and experience the biodiversity on the grounds of the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate).

Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen)

In the northernmost corner of Lower Franconia lies the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen). Historic buildings such as the old village school, the brewery and several farms invite you to experience Franconian rural life in the old days. Historic livestock breeds graze in a landscape of gardens, orchards and fields.

Focus: Inclusion

Inclusive offers such as tactile maps, "hands-on" stations and tactile markings offer a wide range of opportunities for participation. The #BayernBarrierefrei award from the Bavarian state government and a certification by the nationwide "Reisen für Alle" ("Travelling for All") label confirm the mission of the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen).

A visitor in front of a tactile map in the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen)
A visitor in front of a tactile map in the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen) © Linda Wolters
A garden in front of a building in the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen)
A garden in front of a building in the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen) © Freilandmuseum Fladungen
Various views of the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen)
Various views of the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Fladungen (Franconian Open Air Museum Fladungen) © Freilandmuseum Fladungen

Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim)

A wooden water wheel in an exhibition room at the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim)
A wooden water wheel in an exhibition room at the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim) © Landesstelle für die nichtstaatlichen Museen in Bayern - Felix Löchner
A garden in front of a building in the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim)
A garden in front of a building in the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim) © Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim
A sheep at the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim)
A sheep at the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim) © Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim

In tranquil Middle Franconia you will find the extensive Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim). The museum is divided into six building groups, which are organised according to regions and themes. In the centre of the old town of Bad Windsheim lies the "Town" building group with the spital church, the old building yard, the herbal pharmacy and the Museum Kirche in Franken Bad Windsheim (Museum Church in Franconia Bad Windsheim).

Focus: Water

A Franconian village landscape includes streams, ponds and mills. The cool water serves as a habitat for many (tiny) creatures and is an essential design element in the Fränkisches Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim (Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim). The water management nature trail creates the impression of a naturally grown, historical cultural landscape.

Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren (Swabian Farm Museum Illerbeuren)

More than 30 buildings and numerous artefacts from over four centuries in the Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren (Swabian Farm Museum Illerbeuren) tell the storyabout life in the countryside, which was sometimes characterised by hardship. Workshop days are organised regularly: on fruit day, for example, the focus is on the diversity of the more than 80 rare apple and pear varieties that grow on the museum grounds.

Focus: Bees

Various bee species are endangered and must be protected and preserved at all costs. They pollinate 80 per cent of native plants and are necessary for the preservation of ecological biodiversity. In addition to fruit trees and other plants, the Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren (Swabian Farm Museum Illerbeuren) is also home to the third most important farm animals.

A bee in a flower
A bee in a flower © Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren
A garden in front of buildings in the Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren (Swabian Farm Museum Illerbeuren)
A garden in front of buildings in the Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren (Swabian Farm Museum Illerbeuren) © Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren
A garden in the Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren (Swabian Farm Museum Illerbeuren)
A garden in the Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren (Swabian Farm Museum Illerbeuren) © Schwäbisches Bauernhofmuseum Illerbeuren

Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten des Bezirks Oberbayern (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum of the District of Upper Bavaria)

Production of baked goods in the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum)
Production of baked goods in the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum) © Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten
A garden in front of a building in the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum)
A garden in front of a building in the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum) ©  Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten
Production of dried fruit in the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum)
Production of dried fruit in the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum) © Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten

On the extensive grounds of the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten des Bezirks Oberbayern (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum of the District of Upper Bavaria) you will find a comprehensive insight into the everyday rural life of the people of Upper Bavaria. Daily demonstrations of craftsmen and women at work bring the building culture and working world from the early modern period to the present day to life.

Focus: Food

In the past, the main thing on the table was what was grown on the farm. The gardens, fields and the cabbage field in the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten (Glentleiten Open-Air Museum) bear witness to rural self-sufficiency. In guided tours and activity programmes or on event days such as the threshing day, the focus is on nutrition, self-sufficiency and stockpiling.

Freilichtmuseum Amerang des Bezirks Oberbayern (Amerang Open-Air Museum of the District of Upper Bavaria)

The Freilichtmuseum Amerang des Bezirks Oberbayern (Amerang Open-Air Museum of the District of Upper Bavaria) with its 17 historic buildings invites you to take a walk through the past. Surrounded by orchards and gardens, you can explore the workshops and homes of our grandparents' and great-grandparents' generation. The museum's exhibits include farms, storage facilities and an apiary.

Focus: Mindful Building Renovation

The historic buildings were built sustainably and managed over their entire life cycle. The Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum) demonstrates solutions for preserving and upgrading the museum grounds. During the professional renovation of the buildings, metal supports or connections are only used if they are structurally necessary.

An ornate wooden door in the Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum)
An ornate wooden door in the Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum) © Freilichtmuseum Amerang
The wooden panelling of a building in the Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum)
The wooden panelling of a building in the Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum) © Freilichtmuseum Amerang
The façade of a building in the Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum)
The facade of a building in the Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum) © Freilichtmuseum Amerang
A flock of geese at the Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum)
A flock of geese at the Freilichtmuseum Amerang (Amerang Open-Air Museum) © Freilichtmuseum Amerang

Freilichtmuseum Massing (Open Air Museum Massing) in Lower Bavaria

Floor plan of the Görgenmannsölde in the Freilichtmuseum Massing (Open Air Museum Massing)
Floor plan of the Görgenmannsölde in the Freilichtmuseum Massing (Open Air Museum Massing) © Freilichtmuseum Massing 
The Görgenmannsölde in the Freilichtmuseum Massing (Open Air Museum Massing)
The Görgenmannsölde in the Freilichtmuseum Massing (Open Air Museum Massing) © erlebe.bayern, Florian Trykowski

In the Freilichtmuseum Massing (Open Air Museum Massing) five historic farms from the Rottal, Hallertau and Istar valleys offer insights into rural life in Lower Bavaria. Many animals also have their home here, for example a herd of forest sheep, rabbits, a family of goats and pigs. Cookery courses on almost forgotten vegetable types bring variety to the plate.

Focus: Old Building Fabric

The old houses and farms in the Freilichtmuseum Massing (Open Air Museum Massing) bear witness to the careful handling of the original building fabric. Sustainability was also practised during the reconstruction of the Görgenmannsölde. By reusing the remains of log walls and ceiling beams from the 16th century, it was possible to preserve them to this day.

Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau) in Lower Bavaria

Tucked away in the forests of the Bavarian Forest National Park is the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau). The museum village tells the story of life and work in Lower Bavaria and invites you to take a walk through history. In the old smithy, craftsman Josef Wurm shows how iron was shaped before the use of industrial robots.

Focus: Clothing

The Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau) looks at the production and sustainability of shoes and clothing. The objects and workshops provide ideas and suggestions for rethinking our consumer behaviour and have been conceptualised according to the UNESCO programme “Education for Sustainable Development”.

A wardrobe in an exhibition at the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau)
A wardrobe in an exhibition at the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau) © Freilichtmuseum Finsterau
A building on a meadow in the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau)
A building on a meadow in the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau) © Freilichtmuseum Finsterau
A shoe repair at the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau)
A shoe repair at the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau) © Freilichtmuseum Finsterau
A flock of sheep in the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau)
A flock of sheep in the Freilichtmuseum Finsterau (Open Air Museum Finsterau) © Freilichtmuseum Finsterau

Open-Air Museums: Looking Back to the Future

Each of the "Open-Air Museums in Bavaria" has its own regional charm. We visited the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz (Open Air Museum Upper Palatinate) and spoke to its director Tobias Hammerl.

Inspiration and Tips from our Blog

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