BAVARIA | Lokwelt – Locomotive World in Freilassing

Autumn 2021. In theory we could travel to other continents, but destinations we had in mind such as Japan or the United Kingdom were impossible to plan ahead. Instead we organised a rail trip to Eastern Europe, travelling to Berlin, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Karlovy Vary, Pilsen, Bratislava, Poprad, Vienna, Linz and Salzburg. By travelling to Germany, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Austria, we explore an area which was in the (not too distant) past bonded together by the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and by Austria-Hungary.

After checking in at Hotel Sacher in Salzburg, we immediately returned to Salzburg Main Station to take a local service to Freilassing, just over the border in Bavaria, Germany. The (former) railway town of Freilassing is home to Lokwelt or Locomotive World.

The Freilassing Locomotive World opened in 2006, a press release says. “With its outstanding locomotives it is a first class museum in the Berchtesgadener Land district. With its focus on technology and railway traffic the railway museum

represents a special area in the museum landscape, one which has substantially defined Freilassing’s history. Not least, the authentic location of the site directly on the Munich – Salzburg railway line underlines the flair that the former railway depot has given to today’s museum.”

“The fundamental features of the Freilassing Locomotive World museum are the wonderful, listed roundhouse (locomotive shed) on the one hand, and on the other the valuable locomotives on loan from the Transport Centre of the Deutsches Museum. A true seal of quality.”

A visit

Lokwelt is not big. It is one shed a a turntable. There’s also a miniature train to ride on.

Although small, Lokwelt makes tio clever choice to focus on locomotiove and technology. Specifically cogwheel technology. Lokwelt doesn’t try to ‘do big’ with few exhibits.

If you like trains and you’re in Salzburg, go visit Lokwelt. Beware: explanations are in German only.

Freilassing

Freilassing, until 1923 Salzburghofen, is a town of some 16,000 inhabitants in the southeastern corner of Bavaria. It belongs to the Regierungsbezirk Oberbayern and the Landkreis of Berchtesgadener Land.

First mentioned 885 in a Carolingian document, the peasant village named Salzburghofen was given to the archbishop of Salzburg by King Louis IV in 908.

After the Napoleonic Wars in 1816, the border between Bavaria and Austria was drawn along the rivers Saalach and Salzach, and Salzburghofen became part of Bavaria. The railway line connecting Munich and Salzburg, and further on to Vienna, changed the appearance of the village significantly. First, the railway company paid good prices for the land of the farmers. Second, many jobs were created, more than 1,000 in the 1970s.

In 1923, the name of the village was changed to Freilassing. Since the railway was of strategic interest and was also used by top Nazis on their way to Berchtesgaden during the war, Freilassing became a target for the Allied forces. In addition a depot of the Wehrmacht was situated close to the station. On April 25, 1945, only a few days before the end of World War II, British and American bombers destroyed Freilassing almost completely.

Due to the expulsion of many Germans out of the eastern territories, the population of Freilassing grew and reached 7,700 in 1952. Thus Freilassing became Stadt (city) in 1954. Since then, the population has doubled.

Lunch

After visiting Lokwelt we had lunch in Freilassing. The epicentre of town consists of two main shopping streets. There we found Burger 84, serving great burgers. Hence the name!