Ballenberg, Swiss Open-Air Museum

The basics

Boasting a range of architectural features from most Swiss cantons, Ballenberg is a great place to expand your knowledge of Switzerland’s history and culture. You’ll need at least half a day to explore the site, as there’s much to see and do, including daily live demonstrations of traditional activities and horse-drawn carriage rides. Museum entry is included with the Swiss Travel Pass, which also includes unlimited national travel and free admission to hundreds more museums.

Things to know before you go

• Ballenberg is mostly stroller- and wheelchair-friendly: Path gradients are printed on the sitemap, and on-site bathrooms include accessible facilities.
• An all-terrain electric wheelchair can be rented on-site but needs to be reserved in advance.
• The museum complex includes several restaurants, snack stops, and picnic areas.
• There is also an open-air theater in the museum grounds.

How to get there

Thanks to its central location, the museum is reached easily by road from all corners of the country. Parking lots can be found at both the east and west entrances. The Zentralbahn railway travels to Brienz Station from Interlaken and Lucerne. From Brienz, bus B151 links directly to the museum.

When to get there

The Ballenberg, Swiss Open-Air Museum is best visited on a bright, sunny day, as some outdoor demonstrations and experiences do not run in wet weather. The museum is open daily from April through October. Check the museum website for the schedule of daily demonstrations and special events.

More Swiss history

For a locally focused glimpse of traditional Swiss heritage, nearby Brienz offers a good rainy day option for visitors. Brienz has long been known as a woodworking town, and it is home to several functioning wood workshops still today, as well as the Swiss Woodcarving Museum (Schweizer Holzbildhauerei Museum). Admission to the museum is included with a Swiss Travel Pass.