Craft
A variety of old craft professions are still actively pursued today in the workshops of the Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg. Basket-making, forging in the smithy, braiding, spinning, weaving and carving are just a few of the many crafts demonstrated daily.
On the crafts trail
Do you know what filet crocheting is? How a traditional ropeworks functions? At Ballenberg old and partly almost forgotten crafts come alive again. Take a peek over the shoulders of our experts. They present more than 30 different traditional skills and professions. Would you like to know which crafts will be demonstrated during your museum visit? Please refer to our daily schedule for information about demonstration locations and times.
Joining in and having a go
The Swiss Open-Air Museum features not only static exhibits but also interactive experiences. You'll find lots of hands-on stations and other opportunities to get actively involved throughout the museum grounds. Have a go at tiling a roof, or try out various crafts for yourself or with an instructor in our ‘hands-on house’. The range of activities changes every day, so please refer to our daily schedule to find out what is happening on the day of your visit.
Join an interactive group
For groups and school classes Ballenberg offers guided tours as well as all-round experiences that provide deeper insight into certain domains. What was it like in those times to bake a loaf of bread? How did the farmers' wives manage to cook in their simple kitchens? How much skill was required to carve a small wooden shoe? Roll up your sleeves and try it out yourself!
Gain or develop a knowledge of crafts
Did you discover a craft while visiting the museum? Why not make it your new hobby? Ballenberg Course Centre, located right next to the west entrance, offers more than 300 different craft courses, themed weeks, specialist courses and excursions every year. Be it traditional crafts, special craft techniques or specialist courses comprising several modules, you will learn something new or improve your previous knowledge at Ballenberg Course Centre.
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
