Black Forest Open Air Museum, Open-air museum in Gutach, Germany

The Black Forest Open Air Museum in Gutach contains six relocated farmhouses and outbuildings that display traditional timber architecture from the region. The buildings are furnished with original household items and tools to show how rural families lived and worked centuries ago.

The museum opened in 1964 as the first of its kind in Baden-Württemberg, with the Vogtsbauernhof from 1612 as its centerpiece. Additional buildings from earlier centuries were gradually moved to the site to preserve evidence of rural life across different periods.

The farmhouses show how people here once worked with textiles, dairy products, and wood, with tools and spaces still arranged as they were used daily. These crafts formed the backbone of rural life in this region for centuries.

The museum is open from March through November, and it is best to visit in the morning or early afternoon to have time for exploring all buildings. Wear good walking shoes since the grounds are hilly and require considerable walking.

One of the oldest mills on display dates back to a time when water-powered machinery ground grain and sawed wood for entire communities. These machines reveal how rural areas developed practical technology centuries before industrialization reached them.

• Location: Gutach (Schwarzwaldbahn)
• Address: Vogtsbauernhof 1, 77793 Gutach (Schwarzwaldbahn)
• Phone: [phone]
• Website: https://vogtsbauernhof.de
• GPS coordinates: 48.27015,8.20098
• Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:59