Freilichtmuseum Keltendorf Mitterkirchen

About the museum

The impetus was the discovery of a bronze hollow ring about 2,700 years old, found by the farmer Josef Dirneder on his land in Lehen. Between 1981 and 1990, the Upper Austrian State Museum, under the direction of Manfred Pertlwieser, then excavated a Hallstatt-period burial ground with 80 graves and over 1,000 grave goods. Sets of tableware, jewellery, weapons and horse harness made Mitterkirchen known among European specialists.

Because of the importance of the site, an open-air museum was created at the find site in 1991, in which life in the Hallstatt period is recreated – a “hands-on museum” for young and old. Since then, buildings have been repeatedly newly built or extended. With the Herrinnenhalle (Ladies' Hall), which opened on 19 May 2018, the village's largest building to date was added. The operator is the market municipality of Mitterkirchen; the Verein Keltendorf Mitterkirchen supports the museum and runs the Jausenstation (rustic snack bar).

On the tour you can see, among other things, a winter house in log construction as a combined dwelling and stable, a manor house with furnishings inspired by Hallstatt-period pictorial friezes, a summer house, a granary on stilts, a weaving hut, a bakehouse and a kiln. Among the highlights is the walk-in replica of a burial mound based on the Mitterkirchen findings, with a procession and funeral wagon, horse harness and dinner service. The information house shows a video about the excavations, and workshops take place in several workshop spaces.

Highlights

• Around 20 reconstructed Hallstatt-period buildings
• Walk-in replica of a burial mound with funeral wagon
• Winter house, manor house, weaving hut, bakehouse and kiln
• Workshops such as pottery, metal jewellery, flatbread and archery
• Jausenstation in the village
• Video on the excavations from 1981 to 1990

Permanent exhibitions

• Rekonstruiertes Dorf der Hallstattzeit – Around 20 reconstructed buildings such as the winter house, manor house, summer house, granary and weaving hut show everyday life 2,700 years ago.
• Begehbarer Grabhügel – The replica, based on the excavation findings, shows the funeral wagon, horse harness and dinner service of a woman of the local upper class.
• Ausgrabungen in Mitterkirchen – A video presentation on the excavations of 1981 to 1990 runs in the information house.

Founded

1991

Operated by

Marktgemeinde Mitterkirchen im Machland

Visitors per year

approx. 20,000

Admission & discounts

Members of the Verein Keltendorf (annual fee €10) have free admission; Niederösterreich-Card one-time free admission.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

“Hands-on museum” with workshops, the children's “Keltenmatura” and children's birthday parties (programmes “Wilde Krieger/Innen” (“Wild Warriors”) and “Herr/Innen” (“Lords and Ladies”)); family ticket available.

Getting there & parking

From the direction of Linz, motorway exit Asten/St. Florian, then via Mauthausen and Perg-Mitte; from the direction of Vienna, exit Oed, then via Wallsee or via Ybbs and Grein to Mitterkirchen. Free e-bike charging station during opening hours.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Jausenstation run by the Verein Keltendorf with snacks and drinks during opening hours (hot food at midday); souvenir shop in the ticket building with specialist books; toilets with baby-changing facilities.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 120 guests.

Herrinnenhalle with stage for up to 120 people (€400), assembly house for up to 50 people (€150). Weddings, corporate events and children's birthday parties possible; events only until 10 p.m. (quiet hours). Enquiries at +43 664 8332869 or info@keltendorf-mitterkirchen.at.

Plan your visit