Who hasn't heard of Baron Munchausen? There are likely no Europeans who haven't read about the adventures of this dreamer. The story of Munchausen begins in Latvia. Near Riga, there are places where you can immerse yourself in another world, take a break from everyday life, and broaden your horizons. One such place is the Baron Munchausen Museum—a journey full of adventure that unveils new facets of history, culture, and literature. An educational weekend is a great way to break away from the routine, find new inspiration, and enjoy pleasant leisure time with friends. The Baron Munchausen Museum opens its doors to positive experiences, enriching life with delightful emotions.

  So, on Saturday, we woke up early and, at the invitation of the famous doctor Andris Baumanis and his family, set off for the legendary Baron Munchausen Museum. We had heard about this place for a long time but never had the chance to visit. When we arrived at Dunte Manor, we were enchanted by the old estate, surrounded by flowers, green meadows, and a picturesque park. The atmosphere set us in an adventurous mood. On the way to the museum, Dr. Andris Baumanis shared interesting facts about Latvia and the history of the museum. We parked and walked to the entrance, where friendly museum staff greeted us.

  We entered the first hall, where we were immersed in a world of historical artifacts. Here, we saw personal belongings of Baron Munchausen, his letters, and documents, as well as his wife's bedroom and dresses. Landscape designer Anda Baumanis looked with interest at the old maps and portraits, trying to imagine how the Baron lived and making jokes. We watched a funny cartoon in one of the rooms and saw unique folios of books about Munchausen's adventures. One of the most interesting parts of the museum was the interactive exhibits.

  The Dunte Manor, where the museum estate is located, holds historical significance, as this is where Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Munchausen, known as Baron Munchausen, spent part of his life after marrying Jacobine von Dunten. Baron Munchausen became famous thanks to the book by Rudolf Erich Raspe, and the museum tells the story of both the real person of Munchausen and his fictional adventures. In separate halls of the museum, illustrations and quotes from books about Munchausen's adventures are displayed. We saw scenes from the famous tales, such as the flight on a cannonball or riding on half a horse.

   Surrounding the museum is a fairy-tale quest park. The museum regularly organizes themed events and tours, theatrical performances, and quests for children. These activities allow visitors to better understand Munchausen's era and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of fantastic adventures. The Baron Munchausen Museum is a place where history intertwines with fiction, and reality merges with fantasy, creating a unique atmosphere for visitors. After the museum tour, we spent several hours walking along the beautiful alleys and paths, through the fairy-tale forest around the museum, where quest stations with Baron-themed plots were set up. We recalled funny facts from the book about this legendary character and his stories, joked, and took photos. One of Munchausen's most famous stories is his flight on a cannonball. The Baron supposedly decided to use a cannonball to reach the enemy faster during a battle. He sat on the ball, and when it was fired from the cannon, he flew along with it. According to him, he even transferred from one cannonball to another in mid-air. Another tale involves him pulling himself out of a swamp by his hair: In one story, the Baron describes how he and his horse got stuck in a swamp. To avoid sinking, Munchausen supposedly grabbed his own hair and pulled himself out along with his horse. There is also the story of riding half a horse: The Baron recounted how, during a battle, he struck so hard with his saber that he cut his horse in half. However, he didn’t realize it immediately and continued riding on the front half of the horse until he noticed that the back half had been left behind.

  My favorite tale is about the deer with a cherry tree on its head, where the Baron, during a hunt, shot a deer using a cherry stone instead of a bullet. Some time later, he encountered the same deer with a cherry tree growing on its head. Children love the story where the Baron tells how he once went fishing and accidentally caught a huge bear along with a fish. The bear, of course, didn’t want to be caught, but the Baron managed to deal with it as well. In one of his fantastic stories, Munchausen described how he flew to the Moon using a beanstalk that grew up to the sky. On the Moon, he met strange creatures and saw incredible landscapes. Another time, the Baron encountered such a strong wind that his horse did a somersault, and a horseshoe ended up on the Baron’s nose. He claimed that he was left with a horseshoe-shaped scar after this incident.

  All of Baron Munchausen's stories are filled with humor, fiction, and incredible adventures. Although these tales are made up, they continue to captivate and entertain people around the world, making the Baron one of the most famous liars in the history of literature.

  We ended our day with a picnic by the sea, enjoying the tranquility of the place. We discussed our impressions, laughed at the funny moments that happened during the day. It was a wonderful weekend.

  This trip to the Baron Munchausen Museum was not only an interesting discovery for us but also a great time spent together. We returned home with new knowledge, impressions, and, of course, plenty of photos that will remind us of this unforgettable day for a long time. 

The story was recorded from the words of Veronika Chekalyuk, with photos from V. Chekalyuk's archive.

Thanks to Andris and Anda Baumanis

Розповідь записана зі слів Вероніки Чекалюк, світлини з архіву В.Чекалюк. 

Подяка Андрісу і Анді Бауманіс