2026-05-17 Vogtsbauernhof in the Black Forest

 Sunday, May 17, 2026

The sun is shining, no rain in the forecast, and it's in the 60s. So today we are heading into the Black Forest of Germany to visit an open air museum called Vogtsbauernhof. 

This open air museum made a big impression on us when we were living in Germany in the 70s. Little did we know that this museum of country life in the Black Forest had only been open since 1964. At that time, it only had 3 Black Forest farmsteads and their outbuildings. The museum has grown and today there are many more buildings and many interactive displays that show how folks in the Black Forest lived and worked in the middle ages.

Vogtsbauernhof - 1612

The centerpiece and first building in the museum is the Vogtsbauernhof which still exists in its original location. Built in 1612, the last owners, a retired farmer and his wife, left the farm, the farmhouse, its outbuildings, and furnishings to Hermann Schilli, a professor and researcher specializing in Schwarzwald (Black Forest) houses. From this small beginning, examples of many of the old Black Forest style of houses were dismantled, brought to this location, and rebuilt. The museum is now 3 times the size it was when we visited it in the 70s. And it has restaurants, gift shop, and other essential tourist stops.

This volkswagen is wearing the typical Alsatian  headdress - red is for single ladies; black is for married ladies.

Vogtsbauernhof - This is such a peaceful place - despite the crowds of tourists.

Today's village showcases 11 farms and houses, entirely furnished, along with outbuildings. These represent styles from the southern, middle, and northern parts of the Black Forest. The geography and the weather played a great part in how these houses were designed. and built Keeping out snow and wind was primary. Houses and farms took advantage of the steep slopes on which they were built to protect living quarters and make barns more accessible. 

The oldest farm here is the 1599 Hippenseppenhof, an example of a mountainside home. Others date from the 16th-19th century. 

We were most appreciative of the clever signage at each location. A 4-sided panel attached to a post could be rotated vertically to one of four languages, allowing for the same information in English as in German or French. (I forget the 4th language - possibly Spanish)

Besides the farms and houses, outbuildings like a bake oven, sawmill, grain mills, chapel, forge, and others necessary to be totally independent of towns (which were distant, and unreachable in the winter).

Chapel

This outbuilding is a primitive sawmill

The museum staff are available in some houses to answer questions, others are doing farm work - baking bread - or in this case flammenkuche, those flat pizza like bacon and cheese snacks. We of course bought one to share. 

Judy finishing her flammenkuchen

We saw a man making woven straw shoes, someone had washed and hung out the linen.

This contraption was used to boil water for doing the laundry.

Laundry finished and hanging to dry

Besides all this, we walked around pens of goats. Chickens roamed freely. And cows were pastured near one of the barns. 

The goats were a hit with the children. They tried to feed them grasses through their fence.

After 3 hours, we had absorbed as much as we could. While I couldn't go into any of the buildings, I could peek inside doorways and enjoy the grounds where gardens were flowering and kitchen gardens had been planted.

Living quarters of Falkenhof

Judy in the loft of the Falkenhof house

It is typical for Black Forest houses to have an external balcony that is covered by the roof.

Kitchen garden

Dave thought we had time to visit Triberg, a town he remembered was interesting. It's only 13 km away (a 15 minute drive). So off we went. 

Notice the hairpin turns in the road to Triburg. It's built on some pretty high undulating hills.

Parking found in the middle of town, Judy and Dave headed off to explore. Triberg is build high into the hillside, creating a lot of streets with steep inclines either up or down. We were parked with a view of the town and a nearby park, so I wasn't missing out on much.

Downtown Triburg is set up for tourists

Triberg is famous for having the highest waterfall in Germany. It's also known as the cuckoo clock capitol of the world. Thus its city center is full of stores, like the House of 1000 cuckoo clocks. 

You are warned to be careful if buying a cuckoo clock. Lower priced ones come from China.

After a brief walk around town, Dave and Judy crossed the park and climbed the steps to our car. Another good day of adventures. 

This city park is right below where the car was parked. I'm not sure what the carved totems with Alsatian headdresses are all about.

2026-05-16 Good-byes & Mulhouse

 Saturday, May 16, 2026

Dan and Paulette left for Brussels early this morning (at least early for us). Their visit was too short, but in the time we had, we traded stories of kids, travel, the "good old days" and life in general. We had a great time adventuring together. 

Luckily, Judy is still here, so the adventures will continue. Today, Judy and Dave decided to visit Mulhouse to look at art galleries. It's still cold and threatening rain so I stayed behind to catch up on writing this blog and I took a much needed nap. Below is their report: 

Place de Réunion, taken from the steps of the church

As you can see, Mulhouse is also cold and cloudy, although Judy and Dave missed the rain while visiting an art gallery. While looking at buildings on the Place de Réunion, they noticed something a bit strange on the side of the Hotel de Ville (City Hall). 

One end of the Hotel de ville - the painting below is between the windows on the first floor

This is what's painted on the town hall - see translation below

The  Klapperstein - "gossip stone"

Apparently, until 1798, if you were judged a gossip or liar, you were sentenced to wear this Klapperstein - a heavy carved stone - around the neck as you rode backwards on a donkey through the town. Painted above the gruesome head is this poem: 

« Zum Klapperstein bin ich gennant,

Den bößen Mäulern wohl bekannt ;

Wer Lust zu Zank und Hader hat,

Der muß mich tragen durch die Stadt. »

Translation: 

• I'm known as the Klapperstein (gossip stone)
• Well known by evil tongues
• Whoever takes pleasure in arguing and quarreling
• Will carry me around the town

The church, Temple St. Etienne (St Stephen) was open today. Dave and Judy spent time looking at the stained glass windows. They were able to go up to the clerestory level  to look at them "up close and personal."  Dave was very impressed. 

The organ is not in the back of the church, nor is there a rose window.

The windows on either side of the central window are modern, made to replace the windows damaged in WWII

Close up of one of the new windows in the west end of the church

The organ is behind the altar

Panorama looking down from the clerestory. The windows in the clerestory of the nave are 14th century, saved from a previous church and built into this one.

One of the clerestory windows

They also found something  we missed last time: trompe l'oeil paintings on buildings. These are paintings that look real, but, in fact, are only two dimensional. Very cool.

Dave & Judy were looking for  a WC (public toilet)in the old town when they stumbled across these trompe l'oeil houses. Look closely - these are not real people in the windows and there are not any windows on this side of the house.

This trompe l'oeil is actually one house that is flat.

2026-05-15 Eguisheim in the Rain

 Friday, May 15  2026

Dan and Paulette have plans to visit a friend in the afternoon today. So, our group plan is to visit Eguisheim in the morning, and to eat a picnic lunch in Eguisheim. Oh, and see if we can find the Gruss tasting room which is the family winery of René's sister. Eguisheim is a short 15 minutes west of Logelheim, so the trip is short. Dan drove his own car so that they could leave after lunch for their visit. 

map - Logelheim to Eguisheim

We found parking in the same lot as before - where the town becomes pedestrian only.  Walking toward the Tourist Office, we passed the Gruss winery and made a note to visit it on our way out. 

The courtyard of the Gruss winery

Skies were partly blue with increasing clouds, but the temperature felt a bit warmer than yesterday. As might be expected on a holiday weekend, Eguisheim was crowded with all kinds of tourists, including a group of Americans on bikes. 

walking the ramparts of Eguisheim

As before, we took the circular tour around Eguisheim's former ramparts, whose defensive stone walls now form the back wall of  the houses on both sides of the road, many with shops on the ground floor. 

the route we followed

Judy at the beginning of the walking tour

While Dave and Judy searched for buildings that match the numbers on their guide, Paulette and I, gimpy as we are, only stopped for interesting things that caught our eye. 

One of the placards posted on a building along the route

This is a "little library" placed next to a bench shaded by a tree.

This sign below the little library says: The wings of knowledge....on the froth of words

This walk, despite the crowds, provided several lovely and peaceful moments where one is transported back to days in the 19th century. 

Paulette by some beautiful flowers

more flowers 

Window framing with carved writing. Heiliger Geis means Holy Ghost. The date seems  to be 1686. The other carved letters are likely the initials of the house owners when the house was built.

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roses are blooming

Having circumnavigated the ramparts, we turned toward the center of town, the Place du Chateau. And it started to rain, sprinkles at first, then constant rain. Thank goodness for two cars because, while I was sheltering under the overhang of one of the stores on the square, Dan returned with 3 umbrellas from his car. Thank you, Dan. 

Place du Chateau 

While the others went into the church to look around, I watched the storks in their nests high on the church roof. After visiting the inside of the chapel, we walked back toward the cars. Our stop at Gruss winery was unsuccessful as it was now closed for lunch. We'll have to go another day.

Three storks on the church roof

By the time we got to the parking lot, the rain had stopped. We found dry spots under the eaves of the vintage wine press. Luckily the rain held off until we finished lunch. Then it started to really rain. We quickly packed up and put the scooter into the back of the car. Judy, Dave & I headed back to Logelheim. Dan & Paulette headed north for their visit. 

Lunch under the overhang of the wine press in the parking lot. Paulette, Judy, Dave

Dan, Paulette, Judy

Dave grilled pork tenderloin in the rain and Judy made a delicious zucchini stir fry for a late dinner. Another satisfying day.

As we