Things to do in Lower Bavaria, Bavaria: The Best History Museums

When the museum pigs wallow in the mud of the sow garden and the piglets play tag, children and adults stand at the fence and watch. The wheel of the water-pumping windmill spins high above the roof of the Kochhof barn, and the museum peacock fans its tail in front of the shed wall. It is a bygone world of farmers with wooden houses and bare bricks. Old farmsteads from the Rott Valley, Hallertau and Isar Valley have found their place at the Massing Open-Air Museum. Five scattered farmsteads which contain beautiful and rustic objects from the rural world in Lower Bavaria are located in the middle of hedges, fields, meadows and pastures: painted cupboards and chests, pottery from Kröning, embroidered and lathed items – and work aprons that have been patched many times. Tiled stoves and leather-covered sofas are in the parlours. Impressive four-sided farmsteads and modest houses from small farmers are there. There is a bowling alley and washhouse as well as a village shop brimming with

High above Passau within the historic walls of the 800-year-old fortification Veste Oberhaus the Oberhausmuseum presents exciting exhibitions from the Middle Ages to the present day. The displays of ancient archaeological finds, medieval weapons and armoury as well as stunning gothic panel paintings invite you on a journey through the past. The exhibitions open a window into life in a castle during the Middle Ages and shine a light on Passau’s colourful history and its importance as a centre of trade over the centuries. The view point "Batterie Linde" within the museum also offers the best view of the unique panorama of Passau’s picturesque old town and the confluence of the city’s three rivers, the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz. Another highlight of this impressive European Cultural Monument, with an enclosed area of 65.000m2 one of Europes’s largest preserved castle complexes, is the chapel of St. George at the heart of the castle with its magnificent gothic frescos.