Open-air Museum Vysočina, Open-air folk museum in Veselý Kopec and Hlinsko, Czech Republic
Open-Air Museum Vysočina is a collection of historic buildings moved from the Vysočina region that displays traditional rural architecture from different periods. The houses are furnished with objects and tools that show how people lived and worked in this part of the Czech countryside.
The museum was founded in 1972 to rescue buildings from the Vysočina region that faced demolition. It focuses on structures from the 19th and 20th centuries, documenting how rural life evolved over generations.
The relocated buildings show how people in the Vysočina region lived and worked daily, with visible evidence of their craft traditions throughout the structures. Walking through these spaces helps visitors understand how weaving, shoemaking, and other trades shaped everyday life and the local economy.
The museum spreads across two locations: Veselý Kopec and the Betlém area in Hlinsko, with marked paths for exploring. Wear sturdy shoes and allow plenty of time to walk at a relaxed pace, since the buildings and displays cover a large area.
Several historic mills and presses still work using water power, including a plum processing mill, a bark mill, and an oil press, showing how people once processed food. On certain days, visitors can watch these machines actually operate, giving them a direct sense of how old techniques functioned.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
