Black Forest Open Air Museum

Black Forest Open Air Museum
Vogtsbauernhof (view from the southeast)

Established	1964
Location	Black Forest, Germany
Type	Open-air museums, Local museum
Visitors	220,000 (opened 7 months a year)^[1]
Website	https://www.vogtsbauernhof.de/en

The Black Forest Open Air Museum (German: Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof) is an open-air museum located between Hausach and Gutach in the Black Forest (Germany).^[2]

The museum is centred on the Vogtsbauernhof farmhouse dating from 1612, which was built on this site.^[3] Other buildings from the Black Forest have been dismantled, transported to the museum and reassembled. The museum has attracted over 16 million visitors since its opening in 1964.^[1]

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HI, I'M RICK STEVES, TAKING TIME OUT FROM WRITING MY GUIDEBOOKS TO BE YOUR TRAVEL PARTNER. THIS TIME, WE'RE BACK FOR MORE OF GERMANY, AND WE'RE HERE WITH THE FAMILY. THANKS FOR JOINING US. AFTER VISITING GERMANY'S GREATEST GOTHIC CATHEDRAL, WE'LL ENJOY THE GOOD LIFE, GERMAN STYLE, AT A TOP MINERAL SPA, TRY OUR LUCK AT THE VERSAILLES OF CASINOS, CRANK OUT SOME OLD-TIME MUSIC, AND EXPLORE THE ROMANTIC BLACK FOREST, WITH MY FAVORITE TRAVEL PARTNERS, ANNE, ANDY, AND JACKIE. IN THIS SERIES, EUROPE'S OUR PLAYGROUND, AND GERMANY'S IN THE HEART OF ALL THE FUN. AFTER A STOP AT HISTORIC COLOGNE, WE RIDE THE TRAIN TO THE RESORT SPA OF BADEN-BADEN, THEN HOP SOUTH THROUGH THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BLACK FOREST. WE ARE CROSSING THE RHINE AND COMING INTO COLOGNE. THERE'S A LOT TO SEE IN COLOGNE, BUT OUR FIRST MISSION, STOW THESE BAGS. STATION LOCKERS WORK GREAT. BEAUTIFUL. FIRST, WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT OUR TRAIN OUT OF HERE. LATER WE'LL BE HEADING FOR BADEN-BADEN. OUR TRAIN LEAVES AT 16:09. THAT GIVES US JUST ENOUGH TIME FOR A QUICK LOOK AT GERMANY'S FOURTH LARGEST CITY. THE TRAIN DROPS YOU RIGHT IN THE SHADOW OF COLOGNE'S GREAT CATHEDRAL, IN A COMPACT AND PEOPLE-FRIENDLY CITY CENTER. WE'LL SEE QUAINT SMALL-TOWN GERMANY LATER. AND THAT'S FUN. BUT MODERN GERMANY IS NOT SITTING ON A STUMP WEARING LEDERHOSEN AND YODELING. IT'S A NO-NONSENSE, LEAN AND MEAN BUSINESS MACHINE, WITH 80 MILLION PEOPLE PACKED INTO A COUNTRY THE SIZE OF MONTANA. THIS ARCH WAS THE NORTH GATE OF THE ROMAN CITY. IT REMINDS US THAT THIS STREET AND CITY HAVE BEEN THRIVING FOR 2,000 YEARS. MEDIEVAL COLOGNE WAS GERMANY'S BIGGEST CITY, THE CROSS POINT OF TWO MAJOR TRADING ROUTES. WHILE WORLD WAR II BOMBS DESTROYED 95 PERCENT OF THE CITY CENTER, THERE'S NOT A HINT OF THAT TODAY ON WHAT LOCALS CLAIM IS GERMANY'S FIRST PEDESTRIAN SHOPPING MALL. AFTER THE WAR, THE TRAFFIC-FREE OLD TOWN WAS REBUILT WITH A PARK AND RIVERSIDE BIKE PATHS. MANY RHINE CRUISES START FROM HERE. THE RHINE WAS THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THIS PART OF EUROPE. THIS MUSEUM IS FILLED WITH ROMAN ARTIFACTS, PERHAPS THE FINEST IN GERMANY. BUT WHEN TRAVELLING WITH KIDS, WE'RE GOOD FOR ONE MAJOR SITE A DAY. AND TODAY, THAT'S COLOGNE CATHEDRAL. THIS IS GERMANY'S MOST ART-PACKED GOTHIC CHURCH. COLOGNE HAS LONG BEEN AN IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS CENTER, MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT IN ALL OF GERMANY. IN FACT, 1700 YEARS AGO, CONSTANTINE, THE FIRST CHRISTIAN ROMAN EMPEROR, GAVE COLOGNE ITS OWN BISHOP. THE CATHEDRAL FACADE, WHILE FINISHED ACCORDING TO THE 13th CENTURY PLAN, IS "NEO-GOTHIC" FROM THE 19th CENTURY. SEE THE TIP OF THAT SPIRE 500 FEET HIGH? HERE'S A LIFE-SIZE REPLICA. THIS CHURCH MAKES YOU FEEL SMALL. IT'S DESIGNED TO. IT REMINDS US OF OUR PLACE IN THE VAST SCHEME OF THINGS. STAINED GLASS, ENOUGH TO COVER TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS, BATHES THE CHURCH WITH DIVINE LIGHT. THE CHURCH WAS BEGUN ROUGHLY 700 YEARS AGO, BUT IT WASN'T COMPLETED UNTIL 1880, JUST ABOUT IN TIME TO CELEBRATE THE UNIFICATION OF SO MANY SMALL GERMAN STATES INTO ONE MODERN GERMANY. THIS MOSAIC SHOWS AN ARCHBISHOP HOLDING THE EARLIER CATHEDRAL THAT STOOD HERE CENTURIES BEFORE THIS ONE WAS BUILT. RELIGIOUS RELICS WERE A BIG DEAL BACK THEN, AND COLOGNE HAD SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT. THIS SUMPTUOUS, 800-YEAR-OLD RELIQUARY HOLDS THE BONES OF THE MAGI, 3 SKULLS WITH GOLDEN CROWNS. THESE 3 KINGS, OF CHRISTMAS CAROL FAME, WERE, AFTER THEIR TRIP TO BETHLEHEM, CONSIDERED THE FIRST CHRISTIAN PILGRIMS. THEY'VE INSPIRED COUNTLESS PILGRIMS, FROM MEDIEVAL TO MODERN TIMES, TO VISIT COLOGNE. AND PILGRIMS BROUGHT IN LOTS OF MONEY. THAT'S WHY COLOGNE DECIDED TO BUILD THIS MAGNIFICENT AND MUCH BIGGER CHURCH. ANOTHER PILGRIMMAGE STOP AND THE ART TREASURE OF THE CATHEDRAL IS THE GERO CRUCIFIX, CARVED IN 976. WITH A REALISM AND SENSITIVITY 300 YEARS AHEAD OF ITS TIME, IT SHOWS WHAT THE CRUCIFIXION WAS ALL ABOUT. THE HUMAN JESUS WAS DEAD. IT'S GREAT ART AND POWERFUL THEOLOGY IN ONE. ON THE WAY OUT, FIND THE STATUE OF ST. CHRISTOPHER, THE PATRON SAINT OF TRAVELERS. HE'S ALWAYS THE BIG GUY WITH THE PILGRIMS' STAFF AND JESUS ON HIS SHOULDER. FOR 500 YEARS HE'S LOOKED OUT FOR PILGRIMS AND TRAVELERS ALIKE. WE'VE GOT 10 MINUTES TO CATCH OUR 16:09 TRAIN. PACKING LIGHT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR TRAIN TRAVELERS THAN FOR THOSE TRAVELING BY CAR. FAMILIES NEED TO PACK LIGHT, TOO. EACH KID CARRIES HIS OR HER OWN STUFF. OUR LIMIT, ONE CARRY-ON-THE- PLANE-SIZE BAG PER PERSON. WITH SPEEDY TRAINS AND FREQUENT DEPARTURES, TOWN-HOPPING BY TRAIN IS A BREEZE. WE'VE HAD A TASTE OF BIG CITY GERMANY. NOW, IT'S TIME FOR ROMANTIC FORESTS, CUCKOO CLOCKS, AND GERMANY'S TOP SPA TOWN. BADEN-BADEN SPECIALIZES IN UTTER RESTFULNESS. THIS IS WHERE GERMANY RECHARGES ITS BATTERIES. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN EUROPE MAKES TRAVEL WITHOUT A CAR EASY. IN BADEN-BADEN THE TOURIST NEEDS ONLY BUS NO. 201. BUSES RUN EVERY 10 MINUTES. BUY TICKETS FROM THE DRIVER. VALIDATE BY STAMPING A TIME ON IT. 24-HOUR TICKETS CAN BE A GREAT DEAL. AND REMEMBER... KIDS GO CHEAPER. NO. 201 RUNS FROM THE TRAIN STATION STRAIGHT THROUGH THE TOWN CENTER. LIKE MANY EUROPEAN OLD TOWN CENTERS, BADEN-BADEN IS CLOSED TO PRIVATE VEHICLES AND SERVICED BY A GREAT BUS SYSTEM. 19th CENTURY BADEN-BADEN WAS THE PLAYGROUND OF EUROPE'S HIGH-ROLLING ELITE. ROYALTY AND ARISTOCRACY WOULD COME FROM ALL CORNERS TO SOAK IN THE CURATIVE MINERAL WATERS AND ENJOY ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOP CASINOS. TODAY, THIS TOWN OF 55,000 ATTRACTS A MORE MIDDLE-CLASS CROWD. TOURISTS IN SEARCH OF A LOWER PULSE, AND GERMANS ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THEIR GENEROUS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. HOTEL am MARKT IS MY VOTE FOR BADEN-BADEN'S BEST SMALL AND FRIENDLY HOTEL. HERR AND FRAU BOGNER OFFER EXPERT TRAVEL ADVICE, COMFORTABLE ROOMS AND A GREAT PRICE. IT'S INEXPENSIVE BECAUSE IT'S FAMILY-RUN AND THERE'S NO NIGHT CLERK, TVs OR MINI-BARS. ANDY AND JACKIE HAVE SETTLED RIGHT IN. FOR ME, THE LOCATION IS WHAT MATTERS MOST. WE'RE RIGHT IN THE COBBLED OLD CENTER, THE BATHS ARE JUST A BLOCK AWAY, AND IT'S QUIET. [ BELLS GONGING ] THANKFULLY, THE BELLS STOP AT 10 P.M. FOR ME, A HIGHLIGHT OF BADEN-BADEN IS A VISIT TO THE BATHS. THERE HAVE BEEN MINERAL BATHS HERE EVER SINCE ROMAN TIMES. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT EMPEROR CARACALLA HIMSELF MAY HAVE SOAKED AWAY HIS RHEUMATISM RIGHT HERE. TODAY THERE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT BATHS. A BABY-SITTER WE ARRANGED THROUGH OUR HOTEL IS TAKING OUR KIDS TO THE MODERN WATER PARK CALLED THE CARACALLA BATHS. THIS HUGE COMPLEX COMES WITH THE THERAPEUTIC WORKS. BUT TO SOME CUSTOMERS, IT'S SIMPLY LOTS OF WET FUN. MEANWHILE, ANNE AND I ARE GOING TO THE MORE ARISTOCRATIC FRIEDRICHSBAD FOR A SOBER TWO-HOUR RITUAL CALLED THE ROMAN-IRISH BATH. FOR THE COST OF A GOOD DINNER, YOU GET THE WORKS. MEN AND WOMEN ARE SEPARATED FOR MOST OF THE ROUTINE. THE TICKET GETS YOU IN, RELEASES YOUR LOCKER KEY, AND GETS YOU OUT, AS LONG AS YOU FINISH WITHIN THREE HOURS. ATTENDANTS HELP YOU STAY ON COURSE. HELLO, YOUR FIRST TIME? YEAH. YOU TAKE SHOES, YOU HAVE A SHOWER, AND THEN YOU GO ON, OKAY. DANKE. FRIEDRICHSBAD IS POWERED BY A STEADY RIVER OF HOT AND THERAPEUTIC MINERAL WATER. AFTER A WELCOMING SHOWER, YOU SOAK AND SIT IN A SERIES OF PEACEFUL POOLS AND EXQUISITELY TILED SAUNA ROOMS. THE ROUTINE SEEMS COMPLEX, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE NAKED, NEW HERE, AND DON'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. THANKFULLY, MULTI-LINGUAL SIGNS, ARROWS AND NUMBERS LEAD YOU FROM ROOM TO ROOM. AHHH, STOP NO. 6 IS A HIGHLIGHT. THE SOAP-BRUSH MASSAGE IS ROUGH, SLIPPERY, OH, YEAH. AND FINISHED WITH A GOOD TEUTONIC SPANK. YOU'LL GLIDE LIKE A SWAN UNDER A DIVINE DOME IN THE CENTRAL POOL. THIS IS THE ONE MIXED AREA, SHARED BY MEN AND WOMEN. THE DRESS CODE IS ALWAYS NUDE. BEING YOUR AVERAGE AMERICAN, THAT TOOK SOME GETTING USED TO. BUT ONCE INSIDE, YOU FIND IT'S AN ELEGANT EXPERIENCE, SEDATE AND SAFE. A GREAT THING ABOUT TRAVEL IS CONTRAST. AND AFTER ALL THIS HOT WATER, THERE'S NO BETTER CONTRAST THAN THE COLD PLUNGE. HELLO. HELLO. AFTER THE ICY PLUNGE, THE ATTENDANT DRIES YOU IN WARM TOWELS. OKAY, SO NOW WE GO TO SLIP IN HERE, OKAY. FINALLY, WRAPPED IN A COCOON, YOU LAY CLEAN AND THINKING PRENATAL THOUGHTS IN THE MELLOW-YELLOW SILENT ROOM. TRADITIONALLY, BATHERS CAP THE EXPERIENCE WITH A SIP OF THE THERMAL WATER. AFTER FREIDRICHSBAD YOU'LL FEEL, AS THEY SAY, FIVE YEARS YOUNGER, OR, AT LEAST, NO OLDER. AT THE BADEN-BADEN CASINO, THE GAMBLING STARTS IN THE AFTERNOON AND GOES INTO THE WEE HOURS. COAT AND TIE ARE REQUIRED, AND RENTABLE. I GUESS THIS ONE'LL DO. BUILT IN THE 1850S, THIS IS, ACCORDING TO MARLENE DIETRICH, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CASINO IN THE WORLD. INSPIRED BY THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES, IT'S FILLED WITH ROOMS HONORING FRENCH ROYALTY, WHO NEVER SET FOOT IN THE PLACE. ANYONE OVER 21 IS WELCOME TO TRY THEIR LUCK. BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO GAMBLE. IN FACT, A THIRD OF THOSE WHO GO IN, JUST OBSERVE. LINGER UNDER GOLD-FINGER CUPIDS, AND LISTEN TO THE GRACEFUL RESHUFFLING OF PERSONAL FORTUNES. THE NEXT MORNING WE TOOK THE 30-MINUTE TOUR THE CASINO GIVES DAILY, THE ONLY TIME KIDS ARE ALLOWED INSIDE. NOW A LITTLE BIT IN ENGLISH. YOU ARE HERE NOW IN OUR MOST BEAUTIFUL GAMBLING HALL, THE FLORENTINE HALL. AND DOSTOYEVSKY, A RUSSIAN WRITER, LIKED VERY MUCH GAMBLING HERE IN THIS ROOM HERE. HE VISITED THIS ROOM VERY OFTEN AND DESCRIBED IT IN HIS WORK, "THE GAMBLER". THE CASINO MAY BE THE TOAST OF BADEN-BADEN, BUT IT'S THE BREAD AND BUTTER, TOO. YOU ARE HERE IN A PRIVATE CASINO, AND THE PRIVATE OWNERS MUST, OF COURSE, PAY FOR HAVING THE CONCESSION FOR GAMBLING. THAT MEANS, SINCE LONG YEARS, THEY MUST GIVE 90 PERCENT, 9-0, TO THE LAND OF BADEN-WERTENBAG FOR HAVING THE CONCESSION. THE CASINO WINS 35 MILLION A YEAR, AND 90 PERCENT OF THAT GOES BACK TO THE CITY AND STATE IN TAXES. MORE ARISTOCRATIC OLD-WORLD ELEGANCE SURROUNDS THE CASINO, OFFERING CHARMS EVEN THE NEWLY PENNILESS CAN ENJOY. THE TRINKHALLE'S 300-FOOT LONG PORTICO IS DECORATED WITH FRESCOS RECALLING ROMANTIC LOCAL LEGENDS. BACK WHEN BADEN-BADEN WAS FAMOUS AS THE SUMMER CAPITAL OF EUROPE, THIS WAS THE PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN. KAISER WILHELM I WAS A REGULAR HERE FOR 40 YEARS. [ SYMPHONY MUSIC ] HE MAY HAVE ENJOYED THE BADEN-BADEN PHILHARMONIC, JUST AS VISITORS DO TODAY. [ SYMPHONY MUSIC ] [ APPLAUSE ] BADEN-BADEN SEEMS MADE TO ORDER FOR STROLLING. BESTOW A ROYAL TITLE ON YOURSELF, AND PROMENADE DOWN THE FAMOUS LICHTENTALER ALLEE. PRINCE ANDREW AND COUNTESS JACKIE DON'T QUITE GET IT. THE LANE MEANDERS ALONG THE OOS RIVER, PAST GRAND OLD SPA HOTELS BUILT IN ROYAL FASHION DURING BADEN-BADEN'S 19TH CENTURY HEYDAY. THIS ART NOUVEAU ROSE GARDEN, WITH DOZENS OF KINDS OF ROSES, IS A FRAGRANT BONUS. BADEN-BADEN IS A GATEWAY TO GERMANY'S BLACK FOREST, A RANGE OF THICKLY WOODED HILLS STRETCHING A HUNDRED MILES SOUTH ALONG THE FRENCH BORDER. RURAL AREAS LIKE THIS ARE EASIER BY CAR, SO WE'VE RENTED ONE FOR THIS PART OF OUR TRIP. THE BLACK FOREST IS A HIT WITH GERMANY HOLIDAY-GOERS, CITY FOLK WHOSE DOCTORS HAVE PRESCRIBED SOME SERIOUS R & R, AND FAMILIES, JUST OUT A-WANDERIN'. AND, LIKE THE LOCALS, OUR FAMILY ENJOYS THE FRESH AIR, GREAT VIEWS, AND WIDE OPEN SPACES THAT COME WITH A GOOD BLACK FOREST WALK. THICKLY WOODED AND FOR CENTURIES ISOLATED AND MYSTERIOUS, PEOPLE CALLED THIS THE BLACK FOREST, THAT'S THE "SCHWARZWALD". NOW, RATHER THAN BLACK, IT'S A BRIGHT AND SUNNY VACATIONLAND. BUT EVEN TODAY, IN REMOTE VILLAGES AND FARMSTEADS, LOCAL DIALECTS SURVIVE, AND TRADITIONS ARE STRONG. [ STRINGED INSTRUMENT MUSIC ] STAUFEN IS AN IDEAL SMALL-TOWN BASE FOR EXPLORING THE SOUTHERN TRUNK OF THE BLACK FOREST. ROLLING OR STROLLING THROUGH THE PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY COBBLED LANES, OR DAYDREAMING UNDER GINGERBREAD BUILDINGS, THE TOWN'S A DELIGHT. STAUFEN IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY FOR MANY TRAVELERS EUROPE'S CHARMS ARE BEST FOUND IN SMALL-TOWN PACKAGES. PERCHED ABOVE THE TOWN IS A 15th CENTURY CASTLE. RUINED BY THE SWEDES IN THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR, TODAY IT SEEMS ONLY TO PROTECT THE VINEYARDS. STAUFEN IS ON GERMANY'S WINE ROAD, AND LOCALS HERE ARE PROUD OF THEIR HOMETOWN WINE. THIS IS WINE FROM THE CASTLE. OKAY, GOOD. GESUNDHEIT. GERMANY'S FORTE IS WHITE WINE. IT COMES TROCKEN, HALB-TROCKEN, OR SUSS. THAT'S DRY, HALF-DRY, OR SWEET. CHEERS! MMMM. CUCKOO CLOCKS ARE ONE OF THE REGION'S TOURISTIC CLAIMS TO FAME, AND AROUND HERE, TIME REALLY IS MONEY. SHOPS ARE PERPETUALLY WOUND UP AND READY TO GREET THE TOURISTS. CUCKOO! NOW, I SEE THIS LITTLE TINY WORD HERE. DOES THAT SAY "SWITZERLAND"? NO, THAT'S GERMANY. THEY'RE ALL MADE IN THE BLACK FOREST. COMPLETELY? EVERY LITTLE PART IS FROM THE BLACK FOREST? YES. WHY ARE THERE THREE PINE CONES? ONE IS FOR THE CUCKOO, THE SECOND ONE IS FOR THE CLOCK MECHANIC, AND THE THIRD ONE IS FOR THE MUSIC. CAN WE TRY? YES. I WILL SHOW YOU. CUCKOO, CUCKOO, CUCKOO, CUCKOO, CUCKOO, CUCKOO! THE TOWN OF FURTWANGEN'S IMPRESSIVE GERMAN CLOCK MUSEUM OFFERS MORE THAN A CHORUS OF CUCKOO CLOCKS. IT TRACES THE DEVELOPMENT OF TIME-KEEPING DEVICES FROM THE DARK AGE TO THE SPACE AGE. BLACK FOREST CLOCKS DATE BACK TO THE 17th CENTURY. SIMPLE AND MADE ALMOST ENTIRELY OF WOOD, THEY WERE THE FIRST AFFORDABLE CLOCKS. AND ACCURATE? TO WITHIN 30 MINUTES A DAY. FROM HERE, CLOCKS EVOLVED. THE LOCAL KNACK FOR MECHANICAL CLEVERNESS FOUND FUN WAYS TO ANNOUNCE THE HOUR, LIKE "THE DUMPLING EATER." AT THREE O'CLOCK, HE EATS THREE DUMPLINGS, OR AT LEAST ONE DUMPLING THREE TIMES. OVER TIME, LOCALS MIXED AUTOMATION INTO THEIR CLOCK MAKING. WHEN THIS SUPERCLOCK FROM 1880 STRIKES NOON, THE APOSTLES PASS BEFORE CHRIST, EACH BOWING AS THEY'RE BLESSED. FROM THESE SAME VILLAGES AND SAME TECHNIQUES CAME FANCIFUL MUSIC BOXES. THE CALLIOPE IS A CLASSIC. [ MUSIC ] THIS ONE'S CALLED "AN ORCHESTRA IN A CUPBOARD." [ MUSIC ] AND IT TAKES NO PRACTICE TO PLAY THE GRIND ORGAN. [ MUSIC ] [ SPEAKING GERMAN ] [ DISCUSSION IN GERMAN ] SMART PARENTS PUNCTUATE THEIR SIGHTSEEING WITH BREAKS. AND WE'RE MUNCHING THE FAMOUS AND EXTREMELY DECADENT... Danke Schoen! ...SCHWARZWALD KIRSCHTORTE. THAT'S BLACK FOREST CHERRY CAKE. BON APPETIT. JACKIE, TELL ME, WHAT'S IN YOUR CAKE? THERE'S CHOCOLATE, WHIPPED CREAM, ALMONDS, AND, OF COURSE, CHERRIES. AND A LITTLE BIT OF SCHNAPPS. THE BLACK FOREST OPEN-AIR MUSEUM IS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF GUTACH. IT'S A CREATIVE, FOLK LIFE SHOW-AND-TELL, HOUSED IN ORIGINAL BUILDINGS MOVED HERE FROM ALL AROUND THE BLACK FOREST. THE MUSEUM STAFF IS HAPPY TO EXPLAIN THE EXHIBITS. AROUND THE TURN OF THE FIRST MILLENNIUM, EUROPE HARNESSED THE POWER OF WIND AND WATER WITH MILLS LIKE THIS. THIS CORN HAS TO BE GRINDED FOUR TIMES TO GET THE REAL FLOUR OUT. INGRID, WHAT IS THIS MASK FOR? THEY PUT THE MASK ON HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY SUPERSTITIOUS. AND THEY HOPED BY DOING THAT, THEY WOULD KEEP THE FUNGUS AWAY. WITH NO SHORTAGE OF ANIMALS TO FEED AND TRADITIONAL CRAFTS TO LEARN ABOUT, OPEN-AIR FOLK MUSEUMS ARE GREAT FOR FAMILIES. YOU KNOW, FARMING THE BLACK FOREST WAS REALLY DIFFICULT. SO PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES, LIKE BASKET-WEAVING. THEY MADE CUCKOO CLOCKS. THEY HAD GLASS-BLOWING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. AND, OF COURSE, THEY HAD SAWMILLS BECAUSE LUMBER WAS ABUNDANT. AND ACTUALLY, THIS SAWMILL HERE WHICH WE ARE GOING TO IS ONE OF THE LAST THREE STILL WORKING IN THE BLACK FOREST. WHETHER GRINDING FLOUR, OR MAKING PLANKS FROM BLACK FOREST LOGS, SMALL BUT POWERFUL INNOVATIONS LIKE THESE KICKED OFF A CHAIN OF INDUSTRIALIZATION WHICH HELPED TO SHAPE THE EUROPE TRAVELERS ENJOY TODAY. FROM MODERN COLOGNE, TO ELEGANT BADEN-BADEN, TO OLD-TIME BLACK FOREST HIDE-AWAYS, AND WITH THE KIDS, I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED OUR LOOK AT THIS EXCITING SLICE OF GERMANY. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I'M RICK STEVES. UNTIL NEXT TIME, KEEP ON TRAVELLIN'. TELL ME THE MAIN FOUR THINGS IN THAT BEAUTIFUL CAKE. CHOCOLATE, WHIPPED CREAM-- [ LAUGHTER ] [ MUSIC ] OKAY, OKAY. THERE'S CHOCOLATE, WHIPPED CREAM, ALMONDS, AND, OF COURSE, CHERRIES. AND YOU MISSED ONE LITTLE IMPORTANT INGREDIENT: SCNAPPS. OKAY, SLEEP WELL. DANKE.

Attractions

There are six fully furnished farmhouses:

Vogtsbauernhof – built on the site, elevation 260 m, in 1612. Inside is an exhibition of typical work carried out by travelling craftsmen.
Hotzenwaldhaus – from Hotzenwald, elevation 920 m. Built in 1756. Exhibition of Black Forest textile handicraft.
Falkenhof – from the Dreisam Valley, elevation 530 m. Built in 1737. Exhibitions are on dairy and livestock farming in the Black Forest and a comparison of historical and modern light sources.
Schauinslandhaus – from Schauinsland, elevation 1,100 m. Built in 1730. Exhibition of woodworking craft.
Hippenseppenhof – from Furtwangen-Katzensteig, elevation 920 m. Built in 1599. Exhibitions on clocks and traditional costumes of the Black Forest.
Lorenzenhof – from Oberwolfach in the Kinzig valley, 350 m. Built in 1608. Exhibitions of forestry management and glassblowing and a collection of regional stone and minerals.^[4]

There is also the Ortenauhaus from Durbach. The half timbered residential building was built in 1775 and renovated in 1961. The furniture is from 1961 and shows life in the 20th century. ^[5]

Other buildings include a day labourer's cottage (1819) and outbuildings including a mill (1609), a sawmill (1673), barns, stalls, a chapel (1736), a storehouse (1601–1746) and a granny house (Leibgedinghaus,1652).

Around the buildings are farm animals and a herb garden with over 130 medicinal herbs. Demonstrations of exhibitions illustrate the crafts, tools, customs, traditions, work and lifestyle of former times.^[6]

History

The museum opened in 1964, founded as the first open-air museum in Baden-Württemberg. Key events in the museum's history are:

1963 Foundation of the museum and beginning of restoration of Vogtsbauernhof farmstead
1964 Opening of Vogtsbauernhof farmstead and its outbuildings
1966 Opening of Hippenseppenhof farmstead and its outbuildings
1972 Opening of Lorenzenhof farmstead
1980 Opening of Hotzenwald farmstead
1982 Opening of Schauinsland farmstead
1996 Museum is transferred into an enterprise
1999 Opening of Falkenhof farmstead
2002 Opening of Day labourer's Cottage "Wirtstonis"
2006 Opening of the new Reception building
2010 Opening of the new Adventure playground
2014 Opening of the Gutach Freilichtmuseum railway station^[7]

Visiting

The museum is open daily from the end of March until early November. It claims to be the most visited open-air museum in Germany and one of the most visited throughout Europe, with more than 250,000 visitors a year. Since its opening, the museum has attracted over 13.5 million visitors.^[7]

Photo gallery

The Vogtsbauernhof is the only farm in the museum which is still standing in its original location.^[3]
Inside the Vogtsbauernhof
Inside the Vogtsbauernhof
Inside of the Vogtsbauernhof: the scene of a wood worker
The Vogtsbauernhof from the front

References

^ ^a ^b "About us: Facts and numbers about the Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof". Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof Gutach. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
^ "Vogtsbauernhof open-air museum in the Black Forest, Germany". www.black-forest-travel.com. Retrieved 2020-11-29.
^ ^a ^b "Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof - Vogtsbauernhof". Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof Gutach. Retrieved 2020-11-29.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Lorenzenhof". Retrieved 29 November 2020.
^ "Das Ortenauhaus". JaKo Baudenkmalpflege & Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
^ Official information leaflet
^ ^a ^b Museum profile on official website