Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum – a trip back in time

Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum. When you look for things to do in Interlaken with kids one of the things which comes up first is the Ballenberg open-air museum. We love a museum but with all the amazing scenery in and around Manor Farm Camping in Bernese Oberland, central Switzerland where we were staying. I was a little dubious if historic buildings would cut it. However, the boys really wanted to go and try it out so we relented and I am glad we did. There really is so much to see and do at Ballenberg Switzerland and although we didn’t manage to fit everything in, we had a really good time. It is a great day trip option when staying in Interlaken.

Where is Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Musuem?

Located about half an hour’s drive from Interlaken close to Brienz in the town of Ballenburg. If you are driving from Interlaken then you will drive along the edge of Lake Brienz. Although do not expect scenic views as the road is set back from the lake. Alternatively, there is public transport, you could get a train from Interlaken Ost to Brienz and a bus from Brienz. As there is a bus stop right outside the entrance to the museum. When we visited they are also in the process of building a hotel so you will be able to add it to a road trip around Switzerland. You can use the address: Museumsstrasse 100, 3858 Hofstetten bei Brienz to find the museum.

Can I park at Ballenberg Switzerland?

There is a large car park at the entrance with quite a lot of parking spaces. But it is popular though so I would recommend getting there close to opening time. We arrived just after and it was already half full. There are pay meters which you can pay by cash or use the Ringo app. It cost 5 CHF for five hours. We did not anticipate that we would be there much longer. But this was wrong as we could have stayed much longer. So I would recommend using the Ringo app so you can top up your parking if needed. As it happened we were moving on the next day to Italy. And had plans that evening to visit Harder Kulm so five hours was all we could manage. 

How much does it cost to enter Ballenberg Museum?

Like every other attraction we visited during our trip to Switzerland it is worth asking at the ticket office if you can use either your camping discount card. Or the card you get given when you pay the tourist tax. Although they do have special offers including a family ticket anyway, our admission fee was reduced further to 53 CHF. You can find more details of their pricing on the website.

I was very impressed with how set up Swiss attractions are for families in general. Everywhere we visited apart from the caves offered significantly discounted family options and all children under the age of 6 are free. 

What to expect when visiting Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum

As I mentioned this museum is huge and spread over a large area. It has to be designed in this way because it is home to various full-size original centuries-old buildings some dating as far back as the 1700s. The museum continues to grow so by having the rural houses and properties set out in this way they will be able to add them to the relevant section. As there are specific areas of the museum relating to different parts of Switzerland properties from each area are grouped together. 

When you enter make sure you pick up a map as you will need it. They are located just after the ticket office. Here you can also pick up a list of all the activities that are on for the day. The variety of exhibitions does vary day by day with different daily schedules. When we visited there was wood carving, cheese making in the alpine dairy, embroidery, pottery and various other things. Each activity has a time next to it and a building number so you can find what you want to do and see it easily. The maps and lists are available in four languages, German, French, Italian and English. 

In the various buildings, you come across many will also have activities and things to interact with. Each has an information sign hanging outside, again in the four different languages. They tell you how old the building is, where it came from or the family that has donated it as well as its history and use. The buildings are literally rebuilt as they were found and the boys found it really interesting seeing all sorts of different things. Of course, some things were more interesting to them than others, the mills in particular were a big hit. As well as the iron mongers and rope making. 

Our favourite bits of Ballenberg Museum

We saw so much and to be honest all of it was brilliant. Many of the buildings have original furniture and lots of things of interest inside. However, we had to pick our favourite bits of Ballenberg Switzerland then these are probably them:

Swiss Villa

• It is impossible to miss as it is one of the first buildings that you come to. Large, imposing and completely made of wood. It is a beautiful building with a beautiful staircase. With all the original features and some of the rooms laid up as they would have been at the time including the dining room, it really is something. On the upper floors, there is a museum of musical instruments and the largest cow bells I have ever seen.

Vines

• The Museum has its own small vineyard and when we visited they were cutting back the vines for the new season. As part of this, there was wine tasting and traditional fondue. I expected to pay for the privilege but it was free.

Play area and animals

• The boys loved the children’s playground which looked brand new. There was also wooden bowling run next door and a petting enclosure with some goats who happily ate offerings of dandelion leaves. There was a carousel which did cost extra and also some baby piglets and other farm animals. The boys enjoyed playing and looking at the animals and farm buildings.

Ballenberg Gardens

• I really liked the gardens in the Bernese Midlands area. Even though we were early in the season. If you visit over the Summer then you can also see the bees. Unfortunately, it has been too cold for them to be on view when we visited. 

Mills and logging

• Located in East Midlands this was one of the first areas we came to. The boys were really interested in the water mills and how they ground different food stuff. As well as marvelling at the logging area where we saw full-length trees being turned into planks that can be used at the museum using old tools.

Pottery

• Our favourite demonstration of old crafts was by far the boys were mesmerised. As the potter made various items including some mugs and a tiny cup and saucer using traditional tools. You can also buy some of the items. 

Food shop

• We stumbled across the Ballenberg shop which sold a selection of different things including cheese, salami, bread and meringues. With much of the products made on site, it is a good place to pick up souvenirs or something for dinner. Don’t forget to try the traditional dried apple rings. 

Top tips for a visit to Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum

Food

• There are several places to stop and eat. If you are staying for the whole day then there are some restaurants and also a snack bar by the main play area. I would recommend taking your own picnic if you can as eating out is expensive in Switzerland. We saw several barbecue areas to cook your own over an open fire. As it is a large museum it will give you the flexibility of eating when the kids are hungry rather than needing to walk to a food stop. 

Activities

• Many of the activities are on all day with a break for lunch they are centred around historical activities of everyday life. Each will have a sign outside telling you when it is open. So don’t worry if you miss picking up the guide. Some are only on in the morning so it worth making a plan around what you want to see. Things like cheese making and fresh Ballenberg bread making take place mid morning. So even if you arrive within the time slot there may not be much to see.
• There is so much to see that you do need to accept that with little ones it is unlikely that you will see all of it. It is spread over such a vast area. We chose to visit four areas and really explore them rather than rushing around it all. 
• Ballenberg Switzerland, also regularly runs special events and activity programmes. For more information on these check their website.

Horse & carriage ride

• It is possible to pick up a horse and carriage which will take you around different areas of the museum. There is an additional charge for this which is dependent on the route taken. if you want to arrange a trip then you will need to call th coachman, you can find his number on a sign next to the Farmhouse with the restaurant as you enter the main part of the museum. 

Related blog posts

If you are thinking of visiting Ballenberg Switzerland? You can read about the other popular day trip and tourist destinations that we visited during our trip below.

St Beatus Caves & Waterfalls Lake Thun

Our visit to the Giessbach Falls near Interlaken Switzerland

Lake Brienz Cruise – everything you need to know

Visiting Harder Kulm Top of Interlaken

Thun Castle

Jungfraujoch Top of Europe – how to plan your visit

Grindelwald First – the best things to do

The Eiger Express Grindelwald – everything you need to know

Helimwehfuh Interlaken – what to expect

We really enjoyed our visit to the Swiss open-air museum Ballenberg, have you visited Ballenberg Switzerland or the open air museum? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below. 

If you’ve liked this post please follow me on my social media channels:

Mudpie Fridays: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | LinkedIn

PIN for later – Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum, Ballenberg Switzerland