Barkenhoff, Art nouveau museum in Worpswede, Germany.
The Barkenhoff is a former farmhouse that Heinrich Vogeler transformed into an art nouveau home featuring handcrafted furnishings and wall paintings throughout its rooms. The building now functions as a museum where visitors can see paintings, decorative arts, and personal objects that document the artist's creative journey.
In 1894, painter Heinrich Vogeler began reshaping a traditional farmhouse according to art nouveau principles, marking the start of a major creative transformation. This work coincided with the rise of the Worpswede artist colony, which attracted painters and craftspeople seeking a new artistic vision.
The white salon functioned as a meeting place where artists of the Worpswede community gathered to share ideas and support each other's work. Visitors today can still sense how these rooms brought creative people together in meaningful ways.
The museum is easy to reach on foot from the village center, and the visit takes roughly two hours to see all the rooms and collections. You can move through the spaces at your own pace without needing a guide, making it straightforward for independent travelers.
The building still features many original hand-painted wall designs and custom-made furnishings that Vogeler created over a century ago. These elements remain exactly as they were, giving visitors a direct connection to the artist's early experiments with craft and design.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.