Alternative Museums

Would you believe that there is a museum dedicated to the history of the chamber pot? Or that buttons, peppermint, even corkscrews are cataloged and celebrated in their own museums? These museums, all located in Germany, are some of the world's most unusual and whimsical and give new meaning to the term "esoteric."

Center for Unusual Museums, Munich

The Center for Unusual Museums, better known by its German abbreviation ZAM (Zentrum für Aussergewöhnliche Museen), features extravagantly out-of-the-ordinary subjects. It's the home of the Chamber Pot Museum, where more than 2,000 examples give visitors a fascinating glimpse of two millennia worth of chamber pot history. The center also includes the Corkscrew Museum, the Ethnic Doll Museum, the Easter Bunny Museum and the Guardian Angel Museum. Check the ZAM website for more information.

Eichenau Peppermint Museum, Eichenau

The increasing popularity of homeopathic medicine draws visitors to this museum dedicated to the meaning, cultivation, harvest and drying of the medicinal herb. Eichenau, west of Munich, was once known for growing high quality peppermint. Freshly brewed peppermint tea, provided at no extra charge to museum-goers, is enough of an incentive to visit, and few leave without buying a package of original Eichenau peppermint tea to take home. Check the museum's website for more information.

Middle Ages Torture Museum, Rüdesheim

Whipping posts, gallows, stretching ladders, knee screws - the list goes on. Visitors to the museum in this town on the Rhine River will learn more than they ever wanted to know about medieval torture methods, witch hunts, the Inquisition, funeral pyres, and other punishments. Check the museum's website for more information.

Bonsai Museum, Heidelberg

Bonsai enthusiasts will love this museum devoted to beautiful and especially old Bonsai trees from around the world. It showcases the collection of Paul Lesniewicz, renowned author of numerous books on Bonsai. The museum's website is in German only.

Button Museum, Baernau

Baernau is the center of the German button industry, exporting millions of buttons. Visitors to this museum will see a button collection spanning four centuries and learn how a button is made, from raw material to finished product. The museum's website is in German only.

Sugar Museum, Berlin

In existence since 1904, this museum explores the technology, science, agriculture, economic history, folklore and art related to sugar. It covers the discovery and development of beet-sugar production in Berlin, as well as cane sugar and honey, palm and maple sugar. For details and museum hours, check the website.

Schnapps Museum, Griesbach

This museum in the Griesbach Brewery in Bavaria demonstrates the making of schnapps, liquor distilled from fruit, and lets visitors taste the results, under the motto: "Trying is better than studying." Admission and samples are free, but of course, a boutique has a wide selection of gifts available for purchase. For more information, go to the museum's website.

For more information on museums and other sightseeing destinations, visit the German National Tourist Office website.

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