The museum season has begun

When it is cold and miserable outside, you are better off on a tour of discovery indoors – for example in a museum.

But why is it always the big, famous attractions? Be it the history of jeans, pioneers of aviation or the fascinating charm of the Alps, there are intriguing topics in every administrative district just waiting to be discovered. Here is a selection:

Upper Franconia: Levi Strauss Museum Buttenheim
In 1873, a businessman born in Upper Franconia filed a patent application for riveted work trousers in San Francisco. At house in Buttenheim where he was born, visitors have the chance to discover more about the life of the jeans inventor and the history of jeans.
www.levi-strauss-museum.de

Middle Franconia: The German Aviation Pioneer Museum Gustav Weißkopf
Gustav Weißkopf achieved the first powered flight in America as early as 1901 – even before the Wright brothers. The museum in his home town presents information on his pioneering achievements and gives us an insight into the early days of motorised aviation.
www.weisskopf.de/museum.html

Lower Franconia: German Bicycle Museum, Bad Brückenau
Housed in an art nouveau villa, the museum boasts a collection of historical bicycles, with 230 vehicles spread across two floors. From time to time, special activities such as penny farthing rides are organised.
www.deutsches-fahrradmuseum.de

Upper Palatinate: Drachenhöhle (dragon's den), Furth im Wald
Here, you will gaze in awe at the world's largest walking robot, which appears every year as the main attraction at the “Drachenstich” theatre in Furth. When taking a tour around the museum, you will discover more about the history of the dragons, the festival and the complex technology of the walking robot.
www.further-drache.de

Upper Bavaria: Alpine Museum of the German Alpine Association, Munich
Mountains and more – historical documents, photographs, posters and equipment document how the mountains have been opened up for science, tourism and sports.
www.alpenverein.de/Kultur/Museum/

Lower Bavaria: Jagd- und Falknereimuseum/Falkenhof (museum of hunting and falconry), Riedenburg
The museum for hunting and falconry is situated high above the Altmühl valley in Rosenburg castle and houses exhibits on the history of falconry and all local wildlife.
www.falkenhofrosenburg.de/museum.php

Swabia: Fuggerei Museum, Augsburg
In 1521 Jakob Fugger, a prominent businessman and banker, founded the world's first social housing estate, which is named after him and remains in use today. In the Fuggerei Museum, you can find out more about the history of the founder and his family.
http://www.fugger.de/en/home.html

You can find an overview of all the museums in Bavaria here:
www.museen-in-bayern.de