If you are interested in lost crafts such as basket making, traditional black smith techniques or bread making, then the Hohenloher Open Air Museumin the Southern German village of Wackershofen will make a perfect Slow Life travel destination
The museum has been collection various old rural buildings from around Southern Germany and specifically from the Hohenloher region for decades. The museum’s experts literally dismantle buildings such as houses, farms, mills and pubs and move them – stone by stone – to their new location on the museum’s grounds where they are then re-assembled using the original material.
Most buildings are chosen for their architectural and social historical significance and each of the 60 houses reflects on a different tradition or form of crafts, from old farm houses to communal baking buildings. It’s fascinating to see how rural families lived at different times, how little they owned and how hard they had to work to make ends meet.
To bring the museum to live, traditional farm animals such as goats, cows, chickens and pigs are kept, mainly endangered breeds that have come out of fashion as they are not suitable for today’s mass farming.
Also each year there is a great variety of special days that see craftsman showcase their trade, give visitors the chance to learn baking and cooking techniques for in-season products, show how to farm the traditional way and generally give a fascinating insight into a traditional, slower more simply life style.
The museum will re-open after its winter break on March 28. A day ticket for adults starts at 6.00 Euros.
images: wackershofen.de
