Estonian Open Air Museum

Have you ever wondered how you would manage in a world without smart devices, tap water or even electricity? Step back in time and discover the fascinating and at times harsh everyday life of our ancestors at the Estonian Open Air Museum. It is a journey full of survival tricks, cunning and ancient wisdom.

• How were barn-dwellings lit on long, dark winter evenings, when no one could even dream of a light switch?
• Why did old houses have no chimneys, and how did people manage not to die of the fumes?
• If a farm had no sauna, where and how did people take care of their hygiene?
• If there was no outhouse, where did people run when the need arose?

Our ancestors’ lives were governed by agreements that seem unbelievable in today’s context.

• Why was a broom in front of the door enough to keep strangers away when leaving home, while the storehouse doors were locked?
• Was the small opening in the roof meant only for ventilation, or was it actually used in other ways?
• Why did the old Estonians make themselves a kratt, and how was a soul breathed into a kratt?
• Why did people go night courting, and what rules had to be followed?
• Who or what did our ancestors believe in?
• Who were the werewolves really?

How, why and what for? All the answers lie hidden in our folklore and stories. If you want to find out how our ancestors lived in harmony with nature and what wisdom we could learn from them, I await you on a tour of the Open Air Museum.

Museum ticket prices can be found here.