Black Forest Open Air Museum

Fantastic and impressive museum which is a collection of farmhouses ranging from 16th to the 18th centuries. There was one house originally on the site, and the others were painstakingly disassembled and moved to preserve this picture of the past for future generations. Each house focuses on different aspects of farm life, or a different generation. Indeed, in the Black Forest Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof, the Black Forest culture and history come to life. To find out how people lived and worked in Black Forest farmhouses during the last 400 years. As well as six fully-furnished farmhouses from different parts of the Black Forest, the visitors will find a labourer’s cottage and about 15 outbuildings, such as mills, sawmills, storehouses, a distillery and a chapel, fields, kitchen gardens and a herb garden. It presents the many different faces of life in the Black Forest : its architecture, traditions, customs and trades, and the way people lived and farmed throughout the ages. Founded as a museum of architecture over 40 years ago, today visiting the “Vogtsbauernhof Museum” also means to experience living history directly : throughout the whole season, you can find traditional breeds of domestic animals in stables or out at feed, smell the smoke in old “Black Kitchens”, witness old handcrafts and mills in action, participate in free guided tours and take part in one of the many hands-on activities. Additionally, visitors are invited to the numerous traditional events ranging from the special day for traditional costumes to the “Schlachtfest” (traditional end-of-season feast), plus every year a new special exhibition on cultural history in the Black Forest. Each winter, at the third advent weekend, there is a huge Christmas market on the museum’s ground where various craftsmen offer handmade products and regional specialities. Futhermore, the Christmas Market is framed by concerts, programs for children and lectures/readings !

During our Rhine River Cruise we came here for half a day tour. It was an hour scenic drive from our ship. This Open Air Museum represents the entire Black Forest region. They have preserved the cultural identity of past. The way they have maintained old buildings, crafts, tools, customs and traditions is praiseworthy. It is spread over 7 hectares with beautiful ponds and greenery all around. There also also farm animals and a herb garden. Our group was given a demonstration about how to make butter in traditional way. We had our guide who explained to us everything in detail and then we were given one hour free time to explore on our own. It is open from March to November. Every year more than 2 lakhs people visit and since its opening in 1964, more than 16 million have visited. If you are visiting this museum then don't forget to have lunch in its restaurant followed by delicious Black Forest Cake. The famous Cuckoo Clocks store is also in this complex.

Great place to see how people lived and worked in previous years. I enjoyed seeing building construction, live demonstrations, and local animals. It was amazing how hard people worked just to live and possibly use extra products for sale and income. There is a nice relaxing restaurant in the entrance area with tasty food and drinks, served by excellent friendly staff. Plenty of parking. This facility is appropriate for adults, kids, and groups. This is a large, hilly facility but with nice views. If you have a few hours, this is a good experience.

This open air museum is like stepping back in time! It's a large museum located in the Black Forest where you can wander around freely to see how they used to live in the region during different eras. You can enter each building and see inside homes. It is like stepping inside someone's house which is very unusual! I really like how they made it so real. It's fascinating! Everything is translated in French, English and Spanish I think. So you can learn more about how they used to live and the history of the region. There's also some animals around the museum like bunnies, cows, donkeys or chickens. Some of them could use a bigger space though like the bunnies and the cows. But other than that, it seems they're taking a good care of them which is important.

Loads to find out about from Farmhouses in use since the C17th, through to places last used in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Spent about 4.5hrs wandering around on a changeable day of weather. Excellent wine, especially the young wine. Superb restaurant food. I had the Pumpkin soup, which was really good.

A fascinating look at rural life in the Black Forest. A huge area with a number of farmhouses, all set up with very interesting displays and information boards, with German, French and English versions. Amazing to walk through farmhouses built in the 1500's and get a real sense of what it would have been like to live and work here hundreds of years ago. We spent 4 hours and could have spent much longer.

An incredible cultural and educational experience that takes you on a journey through time from the olden days to today. It’s impressive how they’ve relocated some of the buildings from afar to this beautifully maintained site. Surrounded by mountains, the museum is strategically located and offers a stunning setting. We came during low season and didn’t expect much. Parking information can be a bit clearer. We were also able to bring our own lunch which is nice. We did however stop for a Black Forest cake in the onsite restaurant for tea. We also stopped at the cafe on site for hot drinks. We spent over 5 hours here with our two kids (both under 10), and it was amazing to explore all the buildings. The museum is excellently preserved, providing just the right amount of information alongside engaging, non-screen interactive play. A fantastic day out for the whole family—highly recommended!

Beautiful setting with many historic buildings and traditional furnishings. The demonstration of bobbing lacing and shoe making were very informative.

This place is simply amazing. It's literally a collection of all kinds of Black Forest homes that have all be relocated to this very site for touring. My wife, who studied historic preservation, said it's the best museum she's probably ever seen. We spent hours here looking around and would absolutely come back again.

If you've never been to a German Freilichtmuesum, they are essentially a collection of historic building brought together to give visitors an idea of everyday life in bygone times. This Freilichtmuseum situate in the Gutach valley is designed to give you a glimpse into life in the Black Forest during the late Middle Ages. The collection of local houses and other structures is an interesting window into earlier times. The tour that we took was informative in helping us understand the life of ordinary people then. One unpleasant aspect was the amount of cheap tourist shops surrounding the museum. There wasn't much authentic about this consumerist aspect. I will say though that this type of museum is not for everyone. If you're of school age or just love history, this is a great place to spend an hour or two. If not, it would probably be more interesting to spend your day somewhere else in this gorgeous region.