Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen, Germany

Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen is an open-air archaeological museum located in the village of Unteruhldingen, on the northern shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in southern Germany. Founded in 1922, it is one of the oldest open-air museums in Germany. The museum presents reconstructed prehistoric stilt houses built over the water, showing how people lived in the Alpine region from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Wooden walkways connect the houses, creating the feeling of a small village above the lake.

What is interesting to see
The museum features full-scale reconstructions of pile dwellings based on archaeological discoveries from the Alpine lakes region. Inside the houses, visitors can see everyday objects, tools, and furniture that illustrate daily life thousands of years ago. There is also an exhibition building with original finds, models, and explanations about prehistoric technology, farming, and trade. The lakeside setting and mountain views make the visit both educational and scenic.

Entrance tickets
Adult tickets cost €14, children aged 5 to 15 pay €8.50, pupils and students aged 16 and over pay €12, and children up to 4 enter free. From late March to 1 November the museum is open daily (9:30 to 18:00 from mid-May to September); in March and November it opens only at weekends, and in winter there are German-language tours on some weekdays.

UNESCO World Heritage status
Since 2011, the remains of the prehistoric settlements in the lake in front of the museum have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.” The museum itself shows reconstructions, while the original sites lie hidden under water and in the lakeshore mud. This designation recognizes the scientific importance of the stilt-house settlements, which provide unique insight into early human life in Europe and are preserved across several Alpine countries.

How to get there
Unteruhldingen can be reached by passenger boat from Meersburg, Konstanz and Überlingen, or by bus; the nearest train station, Uhldingen-Mühlhofen, is about 2 km away.