Technikmuseum Kratzmühle
Technology museum in the Kratzmühle near Kinding in the Altmühltal with a hydroelectric power plant from 1928, vintage vehicles, craft workshops, household and school displays.
About the museum
In 1995, the Kulturhistorischer Verein Beilngries-Kinding, which also runs the toy museum in Beilngries, set up a museum on the history of technology and everyday life in the Kratzmühle between Kinding and Beilngries. The museum is usually open from April to October.
On more than 1,000 square meters, the museum shows how industrialization and electrification changed life in the countryside. At its center is a hydroelectric power plant with a turbine from 1928 that still runs today. A vehicle collection also tells the story from horse-drawn carriages to postwar small cars, motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles. Highlights include Messerschmitt cabin scooters, NSU Prinz and Trabant cars, a D-Rad motorcycle from 1927, as well as tractors, dolls and tin toys.
Reconstructed workshops of a shoemaker, tailor and knife grinder as well as sections on household, school and medicine round out the exhibition. Groups of eight or more can also visit the museum with a guide outside opening hours by registration. After 31 years, the museum will close on October 30, 2026, because large parts of the premises in the Kratzmühle have been terminated.
Highlights
- Water turbine from 1928, still running
- Small cars such as the Messerschmitt cabin scooter, NSU Prinz and Trabant
- Motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles, including a D-Rad from 1927
- Shoemaker's, tailor's and knife grinder's workshops
- Sections on household, school and medicine
Permanent exhibitions
- Technik und Alltag anno dazumal – A hydroelectric power plant, vehicles, craft workshops and scenes from household, school and medicine show the technological change in the countryside since industrialization.
- Founded
- 1995
- Operated by
- Kulturhistorischer Verein Beilngries-Kinding e. V.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4People with disabilities and retirees |
| Children & teens | €2 |
| Seniors | €4Reduced for retirees. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4Reduced for people with disabilities. |
| Groups (8+ people) | €4 per personGroups of 8 or more: adults €4, children €1.50; with a guided tour, plus a flat fee of €30. School classes €1.50 per person, €2 with a guided tour. |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Kinding train station, then continue by RBA bus line 9232 (Beilngries–Eichstätt).
By car
Parking available
Large parking lot before the bridge; tour buses must park there because the bridge is only approved up to 12 tons. Signposted bus parking about 300 m away.
Located between Kinding and Beilngries at Lake Kratzmühlsee, near the A9 exit Altmühltal. GPS address: Mühlweg 1, 85125 Kinding-Pfraundorf.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups of 8 or more year-round by registration (preferably 10 days in advance), also outside opening hours; allow 1.5 to 2 hours with a tour, shorter tours and thematic focuses for school classes by arrangement. |
