Ballenberg re-opens, Brienz (BE)

April 10, 2009. The Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg re-opens after its annual winter hibernation. Ballenberg is where some 100 homes and farms from virtually every part of Switzerland have been re-assembled on 66 hectares of land. There are fields, 250 farm animals, and lovely old-style gardens. And there are crafts people at work here, not least culinary ones making cheese, sausages and bread. Plus there’s a chocolate factory where they make - well, let’s let them tell you:”Whether dark or milk chocolate, whether with orange, hazelnuts… our home-made chocolate bars taste like they used to long ago. Just as popular are our sugared almonds and our Ballenbergerli, made of a delicate praline cream filling on a japonais meringue base, covered in dark and white chocolate.”

The Ballenbergerli is a variation on a macaroon; its name is a playful reference to Luxemburgerli, the famous macaroons made by Sprüngli in Zurich.

The factory is open from 1 to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday (April 10-May 31) and 1 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (June 1 to October 31).

If you go to Ballenberg between April 10 and 13, you’ll also be in time for the Easter events, where the kids can decorate eggs and engage in egg “duels” (Eier-Tütschen).

More at www.ballenberg.ch