Baden-Baden vs Open Air Museum

If the Open Air museum is anything like the one in Hessen Park, it will not be anything at all like Disney Land. The buildings will be original, not made out of fiber glass and plastic. Farming and work will be done like it used to be done, whether it is weaving, soap making, canning, etc. The people doing the work, will actually know what they are doing and why, keeping their skills alive for future generations. Just my opinion, but this would be a high point on my trip, far higher than a visit to Baden-Baden.

You're right - it's not so much like Disneyland. I'd liken it more to a pioneer village type attraction. Very worthwhile, but also doesn't represent the country currently.

Apple versus orange. We really enjoyed the Black Forest Open Air Museum and hope to return again. Haven't been to Triberg. Baden-Baden is a high-end resort town and a very worthwhile stop we've made a number of times. It's a beautiful town with a lovely large park to walk about. The two baths offer contrasting relaxing spa (old, sedate) and fun water park experiences. Accommodations and meals seem not pricey especially given the resort atmosphere. Realize, a fair number of folks seem to have a contrary opinion regarding Baden-Baden.

I've never been to the particular Open Air Museum but I have to others and they are generally very well done and a great pleasure to visit. But they are not a "real city" environment demonstrating German life as it is now. I have visited Triberg twice or 3 times and visited Baden-Baden several times. In my opinion neither of them present most of a normal German town. Baden-Baden has many very rich people including many Russians and they give a very nice impression of a turn-of-the-century very high end resort. There are little concerts in the auditorium near the casino, the baths are quite nice, there are pleasant tree-lined paths near the river. I like Monaco too but I would never compare Monaco with a normal French city like, say, Tours or Nancy (yes I know Monaco isn't in France). Triberg would be a normal Black Forest town except for the hundreds of tour buses and all the tourists they carry. It is, in quite large part, a cartoon of a Black Forest village. The falls are nice but nothing spectacular and I seem to remember that the admission to the park with the falls was more money than they are worth. Not far from Offenburg, on the little train, is the really nice small town of Gengenbach with its gates and bits of town wall, a water power bakery behind the church, bachle - the water running down the edge of the sidewalks like in Freiberg im Breisgau, walks through pretty gardens near the walls and walks along the river; one day a week the old log rider museum opens. The tiny flower bedecked lanes are just like Alsace across the Rhein but I think better. Yes there are a few tourists but it truly is a "real" small town.

Carolyn, We've been to both and my choice would be Baden-Baden. It is a real city with many attractions and things to do while the open air museum is just a reproduction (albeit authentic) of many years ago.
TC

I've been all over Germany, including Baden-Baden, and I don't feel that Baden-Baden is typical of a German city or, for that matter, very interesting or attractive. However, I don't gamble, so the casinos are of no interest to me, and I've been in enough German spas, many of them more interesting than at Baden-Baden. They did have one high-end, "Rodeo-Drive-like" pedestrian shopping street, but I'm not interested in shopping. Other than that, it was just a medium sized city, too industrial. I've been there once; I never plan to go back. I haven't been to the Museum, but I like natural things, history, about how people lived, so I'd vote for the Museum. And, BTW, the train ride from Hausach to Triberg, on what is called the Schwarzwaldbahn, is scenic. You are not going to get that between Offenburg and Baden-Baden.

I think it's a question of your likes and dislikes - open air museums generally display a variety of homes, farms, outbuildings, a school, small business from a particular region (or in some places more than one exact location) that have been moved from their original site mainly due to constructions of roads, town expansion, etc. They are the original structures completely renovated to represent a specific time period and are considered to be outstanding examples of mostly rural architecture. Most of the museums are spread out over many acres and you walk from building to building. There are usually farm animals - sometimes heritage breeds, as well as herb gardens, vegetable gardens, etc. Some of the buildings have costumed guides or crafts people demonstrating - think bread baking for milling lumber. Many times on weekends there are special events scheduled. Most of the written information is in German, but usually a English guide book is available at the entry. There are also restaurants, cafes, etc. Often it's said Baden-Baden has the highest number of millionaires in Germany, but not sure if that's true. It's a lovely small city, great health facilities (related to the waters,) expensive hotels and is very classy.
Which one? At the open air museum I saw how Black Forest ham was made, in Baden-Baden I ate it. Take your pick - also check out the websites for each to get more of an idea of what each looks like.