Parmupill, pear-shaped with block

The first barmaid’s pipes arrived in Western Europe in the 12th century along the ‘silk route’ from Siberia, and from there they eventually made their way to the small Austrian town of Moll, which has now been the centre of European barmaid’s pipes for 400 years, which is why this small and ancient instrument, known in many cultures, can also be found on the town’s town map.
Since 15 October 1679, the production of barmaid’s pipes has been regulated here by a craft code regulation. In its heyday, there were up to 33 small, family-run businesses in and around Molln, producing several million pipes a year – only two remain today.

In our shops you will find the products of the workshop of Wimmer-Bades, a family-owned company that has been making barrupes for twelve generations.
The frames of Wimmer-Bades barrupes are twisted into their traditional shape by special machines, and the sounding string is fitted by hand.