South Tyrolean Folklore Museum

The South Tyrolean Folklore Museum - "Südtiroler Landesmuseum für Volkskunde" in German, "Museo Provinciale degli Usi e Costumi" in Italian - is the oldest of the 11 Provincial Museums of South Tyrol, an entity that also comprises other museums such as the South Tyrolean Cultural History Museum at Tyrol Castle or the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology with Oetzi. The centre of the museum is the Baroque Mair am Hof Residence with its lordly halls. Constructed between 1690 and 1700 by the Sternbach family, it hosts folklore collections on popular devotion and arts. Moreover there is an agricultural building, where you can see farming tools and vehicles.

Absolutely worth seeing is also the open-air site. More than 20 original farmsteads of different South Tyrolean valleys, built between the 15th and the 19th century, can be admired. The former way of life of the peasant population is illustrated in a highly impressive and agreeable manner. To the delight of children, on the meadows between the buildings domestic and farm animals have found a home. The open-air site offers also a wonderful panoramic view on Brunico with its castle and on Mt. Plan de Corones, a famous skiing and hiking area.

A visit to this museum is a worthwhile experience for young and old, certified also by the ADAC, the German Automobile Club. It declares the South Tyrolean Folklore Museum one of the most beautiful open-air museums of Europe. On a regular basis, there are also events taking place, involving kids making bread or discovering how wool is produced. And how to reach the museum? It can be found in the Via Herzog Diet road in Teodone and offers a parking space. The village can be reached from Brunico also by foot in a 20-minute walk or by city bus.