Working and cooking with our own wood

The historic houses at Ballenberg have gone into hibernation, and their doors will stay shut until next spring. The surrounding forest, on the other hand, is a hive of activity during this time. Together with the local forester, staff decide which of the heavy, large trees can be felled. They also check which trunks and branches could be dangerous for guests and need to be removed for safety reasons.

Just under half of the 66-hectare museum grounds consists of mixed woodland. Conifers and deciduous trees such as spruce, beech and ash grow here. Operational staff cut down approximately 150 cubic metres of wood every year. That is more or less equivalent to the new trees that are grown in this area. The staff manage the forest in a sustainable manner and also tend to the smaller plants, facilitating a process of natural regeneration.

The timber from our forest is only used at Ballenberg. The wood is given a second life in numerous different ways, be it as fuel, for demonstrating handicrafts or for lighting the approximately 200 kilns in the various buildings.