Spring Opening of Hohenloher Open-Air Museum

The Hohenloher Open-Air Museum (Freilandmuseum) is a collection of historic farmhouses and village buildings from the 1500s until the 1900s. For their spring opening, craftspeople dressed in period-appropriate clothing work on site to create everything from schnapps to brooms.

Explore the past

There are many open-air museums across Germany, each one reflecting the historic countryside from the immediate area. Old buildings that would otherwise be torn down are meticulously deconstructed, labelled, shipped, and re-assembled on the museum site. The Hohenloher Open-air Museum shuts down over the winter period, as the weather is not ideal for wandering around outside during the coldest months of the year.

The farm and the tavern

The central village in the museum has farm buildings from 1550, 1800 and 1900. You can also visit the tavern from the 1700s for a traditional meal or perhaps a beer. A short walk away is the wine-growing village, with traditional farm houses, and the broom workshop. There is also a cheese farm, and fields growing crops, as well as orchards full of fruit trees.

Traditional crafts

For this special spring opening, craftspeople will be working throughout the open-air museum. The blacksmith will be open, creating metalwork for the various farms and shops. The chimney sweep will be cleaning out the fireplaces and flues, and the chair-maker will be piecing together furniture.

Seamstresses will be hard at work, and the goldsmiths will be in their shop, creating jewellery. You can even watch the glass bead maker at work, and maybe even taste some of the schnapps distiller’s product.

Staff in period-appropriate costumes

Staff and volunteers are dressed in period appropriate clothing, going about the villages as they would have hundreds of years ago. These open-air museums give you a glimpse into what life was like in a way that static museum displays never could.

The museum is particularly great for children, as there is lots of space to run around, and none of these old farmhouses are delicate (or they wouldn’t have lasted this long!). Staff and volunteers are more than happy to show children how to make traditional crafts, and get them involved.

Plan your visit to the Hohenloher Freilandmuseum

The museum itself is just outside the historic town of Schwäbisch Hall, about an hour’s drive outside of Stuttgart, or two hours from Frankfurt. There is parking on site, and by car is the easiest way to get to the museum.

If you’re looking to stay overnight, Schwäbisch Hall is a great town for a weekend break, with its own vibrant history of medieval salt making, and a town centre full of gorgeous Fachwerk buildings. For more information and details about the spring opening, visit the event page of the Hohenloher Freilandmuseum website.

Credit for all images: © Freilackmuseum Wackershofen