Themed days
On selected weekends during the season, our themed days invite you to immerse yourself in exciting craftsmanship and special themed worlds. Come by and rediscover traditional craftsmanship.
Themed days 2025
- 5 / 6 September - From shingle to roof (course)
- 6 / 7 September - Bottles in straw: reconstruction of an ancient craft
- 13 / 14 September - Preserving Sauerkraut
- 27 September - Goat exhibition of the "oberer Brienzersee" association
- 27 / 28 September - Unwinding, from cocoon to silk thread
The themed days take place in various buildings across the Swiss Open-Air Museum. Details can be found in the daily schedule.
5 / 6 September – From shingle to roof
Did you know that a roof made of fir shingles lasts around 20 to 50 years, while larch shingles can reach a lifespan of up to 70 years? Carefully selected tree trunks are used for the production of shingles. Slow-growing and evenly formed trees with rough bark and few hanging branches are particularly suitable. But it is not only the wood itself that is decisive – the art of shingle production also plays an important role.
You can experience just how much precision and dexterity this craftsmanship requires in the alpine buildings from Richinen-Bellwald. There, the Ballenberg maintenance team, together with course participants, will re-roof a building and will be happy to answer any questions you may have at any time.
6 / 7 September – Bottles in straw: reconstruction of an ancient craft
Until the late 19th century, protective covers for bottles were made of three intertwined coils of straw and sewn by hand. Later, braided and padded baskets made of willow-rods replaced this technique, and gradually the version made of straw fell out of use. The Ballenberg team is reviving this traditional straw craft and using it in the restoration of damaged historical straw bottles from the Ballenberg buildings.
Farmhouse Tentlingen (511) from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm
13 / 14 September – Preserving Sauerkraut
At Ballenberg, at the start of autumn, the cooking team ferments a large pot of sauerkraut and look after it for 8 weeks. At the end of the season, this sauerkraut is ready and cooked for our guests in a historical kitchen. Our visitors have the opportunity to make their own sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut is a type of preservation technique in which food is preserved by means of lactic acid fermentation. Sauerkraut is not a vegetable as such, but is produced from white cabbage or cabbage. This vegetable with its long shelf-life and known worldwide for thousands of years, is the result of a natural fermentation process and salt.
27 September – Goat exhibition of the "oberer Brienzersee" association
On 27 September, Ballenberg will become a meeting place for goat enthusiasts: the Brienzwiler and Surroundings Goat-Breeding Cooperative is holding this year’s autumn show at Ballenberg.
Numerous breeders from the Upper Lake Brienz region will present their animals to be examined and judged by experts. Visitors can look forward to a special highlight between 1 pm and 3 pm: the Mr and Mrs competition.
The “Nera Verzasca” will be the guest breed. The most beautiful goat in the canton of Bern will be chosen from this breed.
27 / 28 September – Unwinding, from cocoon to silk thread
The precious silk thread is created from the cocoons acquired here. Watch how the silk thread is cleverly unwound from the cocoons and turned into shiny thread material. During unwinding, steaming hot water is used to dissolve the silk glue produced by the caterpillar and expose the thread, which is up to three kilometres long – sweaty, high-precision work.
Ballenberg
Swiss Open-Air Museum
Museumsstrasse 100
CH-3858 Hofstetten bei Brienz
Opening hours
10 April to 2 November 2025
10 am to 5 pm daily
