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Open-air museum · Frutillar, Los Lagos
Museo Colonial Alemán de Frutillar
Open-air museum about the German colonization of Llanquihue, with a water mill, smithy, a circular machine shed and a settler's house from 1889, set in a three-hectare garden.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Museo Colonial Alemán de Frutillar
The Museo Colonial Alemán de Frutillar tells how the families who arrived at Lago Llanquihue from 1852 lived. It opened in 1984 and is managed by Universidad Austral de Chile, on a plot of about three hectares that belonged to the Richter family, on a slope with a view of the lake.
The buildings reproduce or preserve the rural life of the settlers. The water mill houses most of the collection, with tools, furniture and household items. The smithy shows the workshop and the blacksmith's house. The so-called campanario is a circular shed where animals threshed the wheat, and it contains agricultural machinery and a carriage.
At the top of the site is the country house, built in 1889 with native woods, which shows the comfort achieved by the German farmers after the first decades of hard work. The garden brings together century-old trees, native plants and species brought from Europe, and there is a small family cemetery, common on settlers' properties.
The museum helps to understand the heritage visible along the lake shore: wooden houses with pitched roofs, German surnames, Lutheran churches and a plentiful spread of pies and breads.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
From one hour to an hour and a half to walk through the houses and the garden.
Best time
Open all year. On dry days the walk through the garden and the climb to the settler's house are more pleasant; in rain, the covered buildings allow the visit. Check the opening days before you go.
How to get there
It is on Avenida Vicente Pérez Rosales, in Frutillar Bajo, about 700 meters north of the Teatro del Lago, on a flat route along the waterfront.
Tip
Begin at the mill, where the main collection is, and leave the settler's house for last to enjoy the lake view. Wear sturdy footwear: the path to the house is uphill.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Museo Colonial Alemán de Frutillar
Who runs the Museo Colonial Alemán de Frutillar?
The Universidad Austral de Chile, which opened the museum in 1984 with support from the German government.
What is in the Museo Colonial Alemán?
A watermill housing the main collection, a blacksmith's shop, a circular shed of agricultural machinery, the house of a settler from 1889, and a garden with century-old trees.
How long does a visit to the Frutillar museum take?
Between one hour and one and a half hours, walking the whole grounds.