Ballenberg Brienz

Today it is Thursday and it is our day of sightseeing. Half of our group went to Ballenberg, where historical houses from various areas of Switzerland can be visited, others took the steam engine from Brienz to the Brienzer Rothorn.

To see everything in the Ballenberg Freilichtmuseum can easily take a full day. Because we had just half a day, we needed to be selective. The first slide below provides an appreciation of the extent of the museum over 4 kilometers of countryside. We were able to join cheese making, bread making and weaving demonstrations. Many of us were impressed by the simplicity of life our ancestors were coping with. Hard work and excellent handcraft were cherished.

Those who wanted to enjoy the day from the top of a Swiss mountain, they boarded a little open-air train. It huffs and puffs up the steep mountain side to the top. Enhanced by beautiful wheather, the top of the Brienzer Rothorn offered a beautiful panorama of the mountains, the lake below and the Pilatus on the other side.

On our return to our hotel in Aeschi, we made a brief foto stop at the caves of Sankt Beatus and thereafter followed the winding road through many tunnels along the North shore of the lake of Brienz.

To enlarge, click on the pictures below -- and click "Start Slideshow" !!

• Open Air Museum Ballenberg Open Air Museum Ballenberg
• Farmhouse from Madiswil BE 1709 Farmhouse from Madiswil BE 1709
• On left: Granary from Kiesen Be 1685 On left: Granary from Kiesen Be 1685
• Craftsman's House from Herzogenbuchsee 1779 Craftsman's House from Herzogenbuchsee 1779
• Restaurant Alter Bären from Rupperswil BE 1837 Restaurant Alter Bären from Rupperswil BE 1837
• Mill from Naters VS 18/19th Century Mill from Naters VS 18/19th Century
• Cooking Area with Large Copper Kettle Cooking Area with Large Copper Kettle
• Weaving Machine Weaving Machine
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• Rope Making from Unterägeri ZG 1897 Rope Making from Unterägeri ZG 1897
• Cheese Making Demonstration Cheese Making Demonstration
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• Old Rural House Old Rural House
• Cooking Area Cooking Area
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• Stairs Leading to Sleeping Area Above the Animals Stairs Leading to Sleeping Area Above the Animals
• Farmhouse from Bonderlen/Adelboden, 1698 Farmhouse from Bonderlen/Adelboden, 1698
• Handpainted Furniture Handpainted Furniture
• Stone Oven Stone Oven
• Iron Iron
• Beautiful Handcarved Table Beautiful Handcarved Table
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• Holzschnitzer Holzschnitzer
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• Work Area Work Area
• Kitchen for Cooking and Making Cheese Kitchen for Cooking and Making Cheese
• Laundry Room Laundry Room
• Beautiful Ceramic Tile Oven Beautiful Ceramic Tile Oven
• Parent's Bedroom Parent's Bedroom
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• Storage Area Storage Area
• Bedrooms Bedrooms
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• Wine Press from Schaffhausen, 15th century / 1750 Wine Press from Schaffhausen, 15th century / 1750
• Wine Press Wine Press
• Vintner's House from Richterswil ZH, around 1780 Vintner's House from Richterswil ZH, around 1780
• Wine Barrels Wine Barrels
• Agricultural Tools Agricultural Tools
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• Beautiful Kachelofen Beautiful Kachelofen
• Public Laundry from Rüschlikon ZH Public Laundry from Rüschlikon ZH
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• School Class Room School Class Room
• Trester Shed from Männedorf ZH, 19th century Trester Shed from Männedorf ZH, 19th century
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• Oil Press Oil Press
• Craftman's House from Herzogenbuchsee BE, 1779 Craftman's House from Herzogenbuchsee BE, 1779
• Drugstore Drugstore
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• Medicinal Herb Garden Medicinal Herb Garden
• Farmhouse from Oberentfelden AG, 1609 Farmhouse from Oberentfelden AG, 1609
• Granary from Ostermundigen BE, 1760 Granary from Ostermundigen BE, 1760
• Farmhouse with Pigeonry from Lancy GE, 1762 Farmhouse with Pigeonry from Lancy GE, 1762
• Farmhouse from Ostermundigen BE, 1797 Farmhouse from Ostermundigen BE, 1797
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• Stube Inside Ostermundigen House Stube Inside Ostermundigen House
• Dining Room in Industrialist's Villa Dining Room in Industrialist's Villa
• Tracht Tracht
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• Men's Tracht from Appenzell Men's Tracht from Appenzell
• Our Bus is Ready to Take us Back to the Hotel Our Bus is Ready to Take us Back to the Hotel
• Brienzer Rothorn Steam Engine Brienzer Rothorn Steam Engine
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• Lake of Brienz with View Towards Hasliberg Lake of Brienz with View Towards Hasliberg
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• Excursions on Ship Excursions on Ship
• Caves of Sankt Beatus Caves of Sankt Beatus
• Winding Road Along the North Shore of the Lake of Brienz Winding Road Along the North Shore of the Lake of Brienz
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