Black Forest Open Air Museum — Attraction in Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hausach

It's on everyone's list. But my concern was, is this just a Disney-thing for families? As an adult with no kids, am I going to get anything out of this experience?

This was our first day in the Black Forest region. To steel myself, I fortified with a glass of outstanding white wine at the cafe, and a slice of cake — which turned out to be the only one of the trip. How lucky that both were remarkable. The menu, too, filled with regional specialties, is legit.

And then... I proceeded to loose myself in a fantastic afternoon. Exploring the gardens, watching the grain mill work, petting friendly cats, watching bees, imaging life in deep winter, eyes red from smoke, making clock parts, and feeding cows downstairs...

It was really an outstanding visit. For English speakers, do not miss the twice daily tours: it brought immeasurable context to life in the Black Forest 100 years ago — as well as access to spaces that you can't go to otherwise. We picked up one half way through our visit, and revisiting things we already saw had an entire new perspective.

I left with a deep appreciation for the culture, as embodied by every day living. We caught the bus there and the train back, but I still didn't see everything I wanted to. I can't wait to come back.

luggage storage available at check in great cafe, and cute cafes outside the complex, too remarkable gardens outstanding architecture, and the story of the woodworking school behind it all.

The perfect introduction...

We stopped at the Black Forest Open Air Museum in Gutach late one afternoon during our Black Forest road trip, and even though we didn’t have time to go inside and explore all the exhibits, we still really enjoyed the atmosphere around the entrance. We drove there by car and had no problem finding parking right near the entrance, which was super convenient. The museum is set in beautiful surroundings with green hills and old farmhouses scattered around the property, giving you a glimpse of what’s waiting inside. Since we arrived too late to make the most of the full experience—the museum closes at 6 PM with last entry at 5 PM—we decided to slow down and enjoy what was still open. We browsed the souvenir shop, which had plenty of local handmade items, traditional gifts, and a few quirky finds that made us smile. After that, we grabbed a cold beer and some proper German currywurst at the kiosk right next to the beer garden seating area. Sitting there under the trees, enjoying the food and the relaxed vibe, actually turned out to be a great little memory from our trip. The setting is beautiful, and even without entering the museum itself, it felt like a worthwhile stop. Next time, we’d definitely plan to arrive much earlier to explore the historic farmhouses and exhibitions in full. So if you’re planning a visit, make sure to give yourself a good couple of hours to enjoy everything this place...

The museum is awesome! Don't get me wrong - the three stars are NOT for the museum part, it's combined with my awful experience at the restaurant...

But first of all, the museum is very interesting, there is so much to explore, almost too much for just one day. There are many details, e.g. everywhere are standing fresh flowers from the garden as decoration. I loved that. Also, very informative guidance through a guide. Very recommendable!

The awful part was the food. I would give them 0/5 stars. The Spätzle were cheap precooked ones out of the package, the cheese was grated out of the package (not even mountain cheese, cheap pizza grated cheese!!) which was sparely scattered on top and was not even melted. AWFUL! Never ate so bad. My colleagues had also bad experiences, e.g. a vegan plate where the dressing of the salad was NOT vegan!!! Unfortunately this was my worst experience with eating out ever. It was also awfully expensive. I would have gotten better quality food...