Insider tip in October: The Kommern Open-Air Museum

Our insider tip for October comes from the Eifel: in the Kommern Open-Air Museum you can take the whole family on a journey back in time. Awaiting you are 79 historic buildings as they once actually stood in their villages, furnished with furniture and household objects. For children in particular, the houses offer a great opportunity to imagine how people used to live in different regions of the Rhineland.

More than „just“ houses
Of course, life around 500 years ago also included animals. Visitors can see horses, chickens, donkeys, goats and sheep everywhere in the museum. In collaboration with the University of Giessen, the Kommern Open-Air Museum has even succeeded in rebreeding the German grazing pig, also known as the Hanoverian-Braunschweigian pig, which became extinct in the 1970s.

Experience acted history
The past at the Kommern Open-Air Museum is made particularly vivid by the various characters you can meet in the museum. There is the farmer's wife Anna Ippendorf, the fine lady Sybilla Schmitz, the nun Clara Fey and the war returnee Peter Lenz. They all explain their traditional lives, their work and the historical background with great acting talent.

Event highlights
Various events take place at the Kommern Open-Air Museum throughout the year. One of the highlights is the „Jahrmarkt anno dazumal“: every year in April, the museum invites visitors on a journey through the history of popular entertainment. The journey begins in the imperial era after 1871 and ends in the era of the economic miracle at the end of the 1950s. At the beginning of December, „Advent for all senses“ gives you an insight into how rural families used to prepare for Christmas. There is a small Advent market, pre-Christmas activities, crafts and delicious treats such as baked apples, roasted almonds and eggnog.

Accommodation options and offers
The Kommern Open-Air Museum is located near the youth hostels Bad Münstereifel, Nideggen and Gemünd Vogelsang. The visit can therefore be ideally combined with a weekend trip to the Eifel. At the Historic Eifel„ family savings package“ at Bad Münstereifel Youth Hostel includes two nights' accommodation (Fri.-Sun.) in a family room, full board and bed linen, as well as admission to the museum.

Photo: LVR Open-Air Museum Kommern