The Austrian Open Air Museum - a short description

The incomparable nearly symbiotic relation of a silent wooded valley and the harmonious historic witnesses of Austria’s vernacular architecture makes you experience a very impressive and atmospheric “picture of an already bygone period”. The Austrian Open-Air Museum invites you to an informative as well as relaxing encounter with the roots of vernacular culture, which was of utmost importance to the development of our country.

Founded in 1962, the Austrian Open-Air Museum has become one of Europe’s most important central open-air museums, reuniting on 60 hectare nearly 100 original, historically significant farmsteads and agricultural buildings from all parts of Austria. The non profit foundation preserves for future generations a vivid, scientific documentation of rural culture of 6 centuries, that is in danger of escaping our public consciousness.

Being awarded the Museum Quality Seal of the International Council of Museums of the UNESCO, Stübing is considered among the primary cultural and touristic highlights of our country.

Farmsteads

The Austrian Open-Air Museum invites you to a relaxing stroll starting at the buildings from Burgenland, Austria’s most eastern province, leading on to the impressive “Rauchstubenhäuser” (smoke-room buildings) of the south-eastern alpine region and the stone built structures of the Danube basin. After you have met the traditional alpine farmsteads from Tyrol or Salzburg you will finally reach the archaic diary from the most western province Vorarlberg so that you get the unique opportunity to compare Austria’s great variety of regional culture.

Entering a farmstead you will find every detail precisely rearranged, so that one gets the impression the former inhabitants might reappear at any moment to pick up their daily work again.

On your way from east to west, which will last from 2 up to 8 hours, depending on your personal interest, the historic grocery, where you can still get traditional sweets like “Krachmandeln”, the old school or the fire brigade with its fire engines are special historic witnesses of a bygone period that are still familiar to our older visitors.

Farmgardens

Special attention is paid to the many colourful gardens, that were an essential part of every farm. A didactic garden offers the opportunity to re-discover nearly forgotten herbs, that can raise great demand again in our days in medicine or cooking. Examples of “permacultivation” try to introduce to the techniques of traditional enduring agriculture.

According to the natural course of the year the fields show the different cereals essential for the farmers survival and they are harvested in the traditional way with scythe and sickle. The characteristic “Kornmand’ln” then decorate the empty fields for some weeks.

On the meadows sheep, goats and other animals are grazing around peacefully.

Country life

As the systematic and detailed relations between the various tools and carriages and the course of a day’s or a year’s labour are sometimes difficult to realize in the authentic structures, additional exhibitions offer a close insight to handicraft and folklore.

In two large exhibition halls you will be introduced to the systematic of “vernacular carriages and tools” as well as to “pictures of a remembered time” presenting details of house building, daily farm-work and traditional custom.

Handicraft being one of the essential elements of country life can not only be seen in Stübing, but can also be taken part in. Not only traditional techniques like thatching, cutting shingles or the binding of traditional fences can be studied but also the skills of “Haussegenschnitzen”, lace-making, spinning or the cooking of ointments just to mention some few.

The fact that the historic baking oven is heated during the week, promises a relaxing and strengthening break with traditional food.

Country festivities

As a farmer’s year didn’t provide many festive holidays, an open-air museum can’t celebrate them permanently either. But informative and entertaining didactic-programs, offering guided tours as well as topic orientated projects for schools, can guarantee a vivid experience of history.

The most prominent festivity in Stübing takes place on the last Sunday of September. The traditional “Erlebnistag” presents an extraordinarily multifarious picture of folklore, handicraft, folk music and culinary traditionals for the whole family. Many other events, exhibitions, courses and activities are arranged throughout the season and are introduced in a free calendar of events.

OPENING HOURS
26st of March – 31st October
9 a.m. till 5 p.m. (entrance till 4 p.m.)
closed on Monday (except on holidays)
free walk or guided tours