Waldhaus Mehlmeisel
The Waldhaus is the forest information center and entrance to the Mehlmeisel Wildpark in the Fichtel Mountains, with an interactive exhibition on forest and wood.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The idea for the Waldhaus arose from the wish for a German-Czech forest information center within the framework of the Euregio Egrensis. The municipality of Mehlmeisel in the Fichtel Mountains and its Czech partner town Boží Dar paved the way for a Waldhaus in Mehlmeisel and a mirror project across the border.
Funded with money from the European Union, the Oberfranken Foundation, the Bayreuth district and the Fichtelgebirge Nature Park, the foundation stone was laid on May 17, 2004, and the topping-out ceremony followed in November of that year. The Waldhaus opened its doors on July 22, 2005; shortly before, both municipalities had signed a cooperation agreement with the Natura-Centrum in Boží Dar.
The house, designed by the architects Martin Schinner and Peter Kuchenreuther, is a 35-meter-long timber longhouse modeled on a single-ridge farmstead (Einfirsthof), with a continuous skylight. It contains a large exhibition room and a media room with about 50 seats, and is barrier-free via a ramp and level access from the ground. The path into the wildlife park leads through the Waldhaus.
Highlights
- Interactive forest exhibition with microscope, touch and listening stations
- Six real tree trunks and boulders typical of the Fichtel Mountains
- Info terminals on forestry work and timber use
- Timber longhouse as an architectural landmark
- Access to the wildlife park with daily feeding tour
Permanent exhibition
- Waldhaus – interaktive Walderlebnis-Ausstellung – Multimedia stations on forestry work past and present, habitats in the Fichtel Mountains and human influence on the forest, plus a microscope and smell, touch and sound stations.
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- Gemeinde Mehlmeisel
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6Adults aged 14 and over with a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis) |
| Children & teens | €4free up to age 2 · Children and young people aged 3 to 13; from age 14 the adult price applies. Children's birthday guests up to age 13 have free admission on their visit day (ID required). |
| Visitors with disabilities | €6Adults with a severe disability ID €6, children and young people aged 3 to 13 €3. |
| Groups (20+ people) | €6.50 per personPer person; the group leader pays the total amount. School classes and youth groups of 10 or more people: €3.50 per person. |
| Families | €162 adults with their own children aged 3 to 13. |
| Adults with Ochsenkopf Experience Region guest card | €6.50 |
| Children (3–13 years) with Ochsenkopf Experience Region guest card | €3.50 |
| Annual pass for adults and young people aged 14 and over | €50Valid for one year from the date of issue; name entry required. |
| Annual pass for children and young people (3–13 years) | €30Valid for one year from the date of issue; name entry required. |
| Annual family pass (2 adults with their own children aged 3–13) | €100Valid for one year from the date of issue; name entry required. |
Admission covers the wildlife park and Waldhaus together. Card payment is only possible from €10.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The wildlife park and Waldhaus are barrier-free and wheelchair-accessible; the Waldhaus can be reached without steps via a ramp and level access.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 2 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €16 · 2 adults with their own children aged 3 to 13. |
- Hands-on stations
In the Waldhaus, children can look at forest finds under the microscope, feel objects blindfolded, guess smells and listen to animal sounds. Children under 3 have free admission.
Getting there & parking
By car
Paid parking
Car and bus parking a few meters from the entrance. Around the Ochsenkopf, a parking ticket is required around the clock (minimum fee €3 for 24 hours); the ticket is also valid at the parking lot of the mountain station below the wildlife park.
Travel via the A9 (exit Bayreuth Nord or Bad Berneck/Himmelkron) toward Fichtelberg and Mehlmeisel; in the village, follow the signs to "Wildpark".
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Daily guided tour with animal feeding at 14:00 and 16:30. Forest education tours and events on request. Dogs are welcome in the wildlife park on a short leash. |
