Gengenbach day trip from Strasbourg--add Vogstbauernhof open air museum?

Click on the "cross-border" link at the page below to find the Europass 24 h, which will get 2 adults from Strasbourg to your two chosen destinations and back by regional train. This day pass is €14.50 from ticket machines at Strasbourg station.

https://www.cts-strasbourg.eu/en/online-store/fares/tickets/

Use the DB site to pull up travel schedules; specify "local transport only" under "means of transport" to ensure that you are looking at and using only regional trains.

https://int.bahn.de/en/

Gutach Freilichtmuseum is the station name for the Vogtsbauernhof.

3 hours each for the Vogtsbauernhof and Gengenbach sounds about right. Add time for a meal somewhere.

No idea how Ballenberg compares or even where it is. Vogtsbauernhof is right at the station, as you see in the pic below:

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUmryIqwuYQ/VQAiD2d4O7I/AAAAAAAAWX0/ASEFsKIfreQ/s1600/P3100034.JPG

We spent the better part of a day in and around Gengenbach, a terrific little place. There was some walking involved, up into the hills and by the river later on. Always a long lunch.

I think 2-3 hours for the open air museum is enough. If you like alpine coasters, there is ne a couple of hundred yards away. Inexpensive, nice ride. Not crowded.

In Gengenbach get a copy of the town walk at the Information office.

I have stayed for 2 weeks in Gengenbach, and visited the Gutach open-air museum.
It is similar to Ballenberg in topic, but nowhere as large and not set atop a mountain. There is a pleasant rushing stream.
The old town of Gengenbach can easily be visited in under 2 hours.
Dont miss the Narrenmuseum in the spiral tower, documenting Fasching Kostueme thru the centuries. And do have Flammkuchen,an Alsation flatbread pizza.

The Narren Museum is only open Sundays 11-5, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 2-5. One of my favorite museums anywhere

Linking the two is pretty easy - and scenic too. I might go to the open air museum first just so that the afternoon in Gengenbach would be calm and relaxed before heading back to Strasbourg.

I have often spent most of a day wandering and relaxing in and around Gengenbach, but 3 hours would work well too.

I've never had the time to go around the open air museum because I get trapped by the big model railway exhibit and spend those hours there, nor have I ever been near Ballenberg when it has been a day I don't want to be in the mountains.

I have heard very good things about both of them and wouldn't want to discourage you from either. When we had time in the Netherlands we visited and really enjoyed both Arnhem's and Enkhuizen's open air museum, returning to Enkhuizen several times in various seasons.

So if the times work out for you I'd suggest both Gengenbach and Gutach.

Russ, thank you for the detailed transportation information. Gunderson, Stephen, wynoka54, and Nigel, thank you for your advice.

Stephen, how long do you think it takes to see the Narren Museum?

Nigel, my husband loves trains and model railways and this one looks great, but it doesn't look like there is any public transportation to get there.

I agree with Nigel that doing the Vogstbauernhof first would be a good idea. That way you can leave and then spend some time in Gengenbach. I was there for four nights in 2022 and really love the town. But as others have said, it is easily seen in 2 to 3 hours. And that’s a good suggestion to get a map of the town walk from the tourist office. If you’d like to hike, there is a lovely hike that goes uphill from the town towards an old church in the hills. You have a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside from the top. You can ask about it at the tourist info office.

I would also recommend eating in Gengenbach. . They have a number of good restaurants and I never had a bad meal there.

It looks like there is a bus to the model railway, although it would probably make the day too hectic to add the railway to our plan.

Vogstbauernhof is worth a visit. I was there the first time in the lare 1980s. I have a Lilliput cottage I bought of the signature house after our visit that sits in our Bayrishe Partyzimmer. Sorry but the toilet facility of that house comes to mind along with the steps from the main bedroom down to the kitchen. Was there later 10 years ago. Can't help with transportation as we always drove.

Thanks, Mardee and mchpp. Mardee, I read your blog post about Gengenbach a while ago and it helped me to decide to include it in our itinerary.

No more than an hour at the Narren Museum

Oh Barbara, I'm so glad to hear that! I think you will really love the town. By the way, I don't remember if I talked about this, but there is a very charming street that you may want to walk through. I found out about it in Lonely Planet. Here is the description from the book:

The best way to discover Gengenbach’s historical centre is with a serendipitous mooch through its narrow backstreets, such as the gently curving Engelgasse, off Hauptstrasse, lined with listed half-timbered, shuttered houses draped in vines and bedecked with scarlet geraniums in summer.

It was such a lovely walk through there. It's very near the tourist info office, and is easy to find.

ETA: Btw, the website for the open air museum gives you specific directions on how to get there by train. It's very easy. Once you arrive at the stopping (it's really not a station), you will walk through a tunnel (under the road) to get to the museum. There is a cafe on the side where you get off the train, but the museum also has a cafe. https://www.vogtsbauernhof.de/en/visit/how-to-get-here

This is the model railway I was speaking about

https://schwarzwald-modellbahn-gutach.de/

Thanks everyone! I'll be sure to report back after our trip.