Way past half-timbered houses with cobblestones

Group of buildings

In the grounds, an area of 110 hectares, you will currently find 79 historical buildings from the former Prussian RheinProvinz. Farmsteads, wind- and watermills, workshops, communal buildings, like the school- and bake-house, the dance-hall and chapel, stand as examples of the dwellings, buildings and commercial life of the rural population since the end of the 15th century. The heritage buildings are embedded in a museum landscape with arable fields, cottage gardens and orchards.

Buildings in the museum

Westerwald is a typically German low mountain range. It is a region where people lived in villages. No widely scattered single farmsteads, nor any small hamlets, but more or less large villages be-came established here. The houses were built and jumbled together as villages, whose streets and alleys were correspondingly angular and irregular.
Westerwald Cobblestone path and half-timbered houses
Village settlements define the image of the Eifel. Large, uniform streets and haphazard villages can be found, above all in the foothills and the early settlements bordering on the Eifel. Imposing farmsteads characterize the Lower Rhine basin, which is located north and northeast of the Eifel. Fertile soils and large plots of arable land define the image of the landscape.
Eifel red poppy field, in the background chapel and half-timbered house
The downstream Lower Rhine is a low lying land. Up to the beginning of industrialization roughly one fifth of the land area could only be used as pasture: an endless meadow, which could not be farmed because of flooding and a high ground-water level. However, the remaining soils of the Lower Rhine were always very fertile. That can also be seen in the farmsteads. The houses are relatively large, with the intention of accommodating a plentiful harvest and a lot of cattle. These were often even supplemented by a separate storehouse. These farmsteads did not form villages, but were evenly spread across the country as individual farms.
Lower Rhine Path along thatched half-timbered houses
Single farmsteads and hamlets characterize the image of Bergisches Land. Residential stable houses formed the farmsteads with separate barns and storehouses. The farmhouses combined residence and stable under one roof. For the rural farms in Bergisches Land keeping cattle was more important than arable farming.
Bergisches Land Horses in a meadow, half-timbered houses in the background
The Market-place Rhineland is dedicated to the time from 1945 until the early 21st century. It shows the urbanization of the rural areas, associated with the disappearance of traditional images of country life.
Market-place Rhineland View of brick inn

The open-air museum at a glance

Ground plan of the museum with houses and paths
We invite you on an exciting walk through 500 years of Rhenish history.
Audio guide through the open-air museum Gable of a half-timbered house, above it the writing

How can we help you?
We are glad to be here for you

LVR-Freilichtmuseum Kommern

Rheinisches Landesmuseum für Volkskunde

Eickser Straße, D-53894 Mechernich-Kommern

02443 / 99800
kommern@lvr.de
Opening Hours

Open 365 days a year!

Summer 29th March till 31st October: 9.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.

Winter 1st November till 30th March: 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Admission until 1 hour before closing.

The sponsors of LVR-open air museum Kommern: