Open-air museum in Gosau

Open-air museum in Gosau is a place where visitors can learn about the rural heritage and cultural landscape of the Gosau Valley, a part of the UNESCO World Heritage region of Hallstatt Dachstein Salzkammergut. The museum consists of a typical Gosau Paarhof, a farmstead where humans and animals lived under the same roof, dating back to the 16th century, and various outbuildings. The museum also hosts events such as the Gosau Christmas market and exhibitions throughout the year. Next to the museum, there is an adventure playground called the “Urzeitwald” (primeval forest), where children can have fun with dinosaurs and giant snails.

The Gosau Valley is a scenic area in the Salzkammergut region of Austria, surrounded by majestic mountains and dotted with picturesque lakes. The valley is rich in history and culture, as it was once a part of the ancient salt trade that shaped the development of the region. The valley is also home to the open-air museum in Gosau, a unique attraction that showcases the rural life and traditions of the local people.

The open-air museum in Gosau is located in the Gosau Hintertal, a tranquil area at the foot of the Gosaukamm, a mountain range that forms the border between Upper Austria and Salzburg. The museum is easily accessible by car or bus from the nearby towns of Bad Goisern, Bad Ischl, or Hallstatt. The museum is open from May to October, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the admission fee is 4 euros for adults and 2 euros for children.

The museum consists of a complex of buildings that were carefully dismantled, transported, and reassembled on the site. The main building is a Paarhof, a farmstead where humans and animals lived under the same roof, dating back to the turn of the 16th to the 17th century. The Paarhof is the oldest and most characteristic form of rural architecture in the Gosau Valley, and it reflects the self-sufficient lifestyle of the farmers who cultivated the land, raised livestock, and produced various goods.

The Paarhof has a wooden structure with a shingle roof and a stone foundation. The interior is divided into several rooms, such as the large living room, the bakery, the parlour, the chamber, and the grinding room. The living room is the heart of the house, where the family gathered around the tiled stove, cooked, ate, and slept. The bakery is where the famous black bread of the Anzenaumühle was made, using a special recipe and a large oven. The parlour is a cosy room where the bread was stored and the guests were entertained. The chamber is a small bedroom for the baker or the miller. The grinding room is where the grain was milled, using three mill wheels powered by a stream.

The Paarhof is surrounded by various outbuildings, such as a barn, a sawmill, a plaster kiln, a bathroom, and a well. The barn is a log structure with a brick basement, where the hay, the tools, and the animals were kept. The sawmill is where the wood was cut and processed, using a waterwheel and a saw blade. The plaster kiln is where the gypsum was burned and turned into plaster, which was used for building and decorating. The bathroom is where the people bathed and washed their clothes, using a wooden tub and a fireplace. The well is where the water was drawn and stored, using a bucket and a rope.

The open-air museum in Gosau is not only a place to admire the old buildings and the antique furniture, but also a place to experience the culture and the customs of the past. The museum organizes various events and activities throughout the year, such as guided tours, workshops, demonstrations, festivals, and exhibitions. Some of the highlights are the mill advent, the mountain Christmas market, the Easter market, the harvest festival, the bread baking day, and the cheese making day. The museum also cooperates with local schools and associations, offering educational programs and cultural exchanges.

One of the most popular attractions of the open-air museum in Gosau is the “Urzeitwald” (primeval forest), an adventure playground that is located next to the museum. The “Urzeitwald” is a place where children can have fun and learn about the prehistoric era, using their imagination and creativity. The playground features various wooden sculptures of dinosaurs, mammoths, and other ancient creatures, as well as swings, slides, bridges, and tunnels. The playground also has a giant snail that floats on the water, a tree house, a fire pit, and a picnic area.