Magic places in Podkarpackie – the skansen outdoor museums

We would like to invite you to visit the skansen parks – places where time has seemed to stop. You can see rural architecture of the past, brightly-coloured folk costumes, forgotten objects of everyday use and many other unique exhibits of the past centuries. They will take us on a hands-on exploration of the past! Skansen in Sanok is one of the most beautiful open-air museums of its type in Europe. It is the largest skansen in Poland in terms of the number of objects on display. An area of 38ha presents the culture of four ethnic groups: the Lemkos, Boykos, East and West Uplanders and Dolinians. The Museum of Rural Architecture, the official name of this skansen, is located in a picturesque area, on the right side of the San river and at the foot of the Sanocko-Turczańskie Mountains. It is easy to get here from the center of Sanok, as the route is well sign-posted. The museum houses a collection of over 100 objects of wooden architecture from the 17th to 20th centuries. The largest group comprises residential and farm buildings. In addition, the visitors can see a few sacral buildings, e.g. a picturesque 17th century church, a splendid Lemkos orthodox church from the beginning of the 19th century, two 18th century Boykos orthodox churches and a few enchanting shrines. Other objects presented are public utility buildings and industrial facilities. The most popular attraction for tourists are: a watermill, windmills, a smithy and a village school. Both the temples and houses are fully-furnished, however the interiors can only be seen with a guide. This is why we strongly recommend visiting the museum with a guide. Not only will they present the interiors of the huts and orthodox church, but also share a lot of interesting stories and information. The visitors can see the Carpathian Icon (Ikona Karpacka) exhibition, presenting over 200 icons from the 15th to 20th centuries. It is one of the largest collections of this type in Poland. Another attraction located in the West Uplanders section is an exposition of unusual tools and powerful machines for oil mining. The visitors can also stop by the reception building with the ticket office and gallery – a shop with folk-art items. There is a variety of post-cards, brochures and paintings for sale. In the vicinity there is an inn serving local cuisine, e.g. the well-known ‘kwaśnica’. If you are near Kolbuszowa we suggest visiting its open-air-museum. Its total area measures approximately 26ha. The exhibits collected here come from the former Sandomierz forest (Puszcza Sandomierska) and the Wisłok river basin, once inhabited by two ethnographic groups: Laskowiakow and Rzeszowiakow. Over 40 large rural buildings and other smaller ones are located here. The rich collections include decorated equipment, tools and objects once used by the inhabitants for work and everyday life on farmsteads. The most interesting buildings are: a group of windmills, a watermill, a school building and a village inn. The exhibition is divided into two mail sectors: Laskowiakow’s and Rzeszowiakow’s. Each presents a detailed reconstruction of the traditional building complex with the characteristic elements of each group. The skansen is located in a diversified area with a forest and shrubbery, which resembles the natural surrounding of the former village. The sectors are divided by a large pond (approximately 4ha) and the Brzezówka stream flowing through the park. All these elements make the Kolbuszowa skansen truly exceptional. It is impossible to describe its charm and beauty so it is best to come and see it for yourself. After visiting the Skansen we recommend ordering a meal called ‘a regional plate’. We also recommend spending your free time on one of nature paths arranged by the Kolbuszowa forest division in the nearby forests, and there are designated areas for making bonfires. The calendar of events taking place is another attraction offered here – 10th September – ‘Horse on a farm’ – a demonstration of work in the field and with horse-drawn carts; 14th September “You are invited to a wedding…’ – an outdoor event, and each Sunday of July and August summer meetings with a folk artist. In 1854, in the town of Bóbrka, the first hand-dug oil-well in the world was founded by Ignacy Łukasiewicz – the inventor of the modern kerosene lamp. Specialists from the United States came to receive training in its then modern petrochemical plant. Now it is the unique Museum–Skansen of the Oil Industry. It is the birthplace of the modern oil industry. Visiting this unique skansen is worthwhile for a better understanding of the phenomenon of how this contributed to the great economic development of the last 150 years. The museum is located among forests, in a picturesque area, at a distance of about 12 km from Krosno. The visitors can see, among other things, two early oil-wells called ‘Franek’ and ‘Janina’, historical wooden buildings of the 19th century, unique pumps, gas compressor, drilling rigs and many other exhibits connected with the extraction and processing of oil. Visiting the museum is a source of knowledge of the roots of the modern oil and refinery industry. Numerous documents and relics connected with Łukasiewicz are collected in the skansen. The visitors can also see a large collection of oil lamps. The guests who come to this area are offered rooms in agri-tourist farms. The main attraction of Zyndranowa – a small village located in Krosno poviat, in Jaśliski Park is the Skansen of Lemkos’ Culture. The Skansen itself is rather small. It consists of a Lemkos farmstead with a stable, a windmill, a shrine and a Gypsy smithy. The history of the origin of this museum is truly amazing. It was founded by Teodor Gocz, a Łemek and inhabitant of the village, who after building a new house decided to transform his former homestead into a skansen. It is due to his great effort and credit that, despite numerous difficulties, the museum has functioned until today. All visitors interested in the history of this unusual skansen are invited to Zyndranowa. Summer is the best time for a visit because that is when the Lemkos’ cultural festival ‘Od Rusal do Jana’ is held. In the Markowa area, there was a relatively large number of wooden houses from the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. On the initiative of the villagers, the buildings were preserved to form a public skansen. Visitors can see a peasant hut with a half-timbered structure from 1874, a type of active windmill called a koźlak, a granary from the end of the19th century called a ‘Sołek’. Currently, the museum of Markowa presents seven fully-furnished objects. After visiting the skansen with a local guide, the visitors can make a bonfire for a small extra charge. If you are looking for a place which combines historical forms of wooden architecture with a modern hotel and catering function, you should visit the ‘Pastewnik’ inn. It is situated in Przeworsk, next to the E-40 road leading from Przeworsk to Rzeszów.This is the only ‘active skansen’ in Poland. ‘Pastewnik’ comprises a number of small wooden buildings based on the traditional town plan of Przeworsk and the vicinity of the past few centuries. They were collected from various places of the Przeworsk district to prevent them from demolition. At present you can try some delicacies of the local cuisine in its historical interiors. The Ignacy Łukasiewicz Museum of the Oil Industry 38-458 Chorkówka tel. +4813 4333 489, +4813 4333 478 Open: from 1.05 to 30.09 opening hours: 9.00 - 17.00 1.10 - 30.04 opening hours: 7.00 - 15.00 Mondays and days following holidays closed The Muzeum of Folk Culture in Kolbuszowa 36-100 Kolbuszowa, ul. Kościuszki 6 tel/fax: +48 17 22 71 296 Open: from 15.04 to 15.10 opening hours 9.00 -17.00 weekdays Opening hours 10.00 -19.00 weekends and holidays from 16.10 to 14.05 opening hours: 9.00 -15.00 The Museum of Markowa Village 37-120 Markowa Markowa 1500 poviat Łańcut tel. 0603 386 102 017 226 57 99 Open: from 1.04 to 30.12 Tuesday - Friday: 8.00 – 15.00 Saturdays: 10.00 – 16.00 Sundays: 13:00 do 18:00 Mondays closed Due to demand, organised groups are asked to inform us about their arrival time prior to scheduling their visit. The Museum of Rural Architecture ul. Traugutta 3, 38-500 Sanok tel. 013 4630904, 4630934, tel/fax. 463-53-81 Etnograpfic Park ul. Rybickiego 3, tel. (013) 463-16-72 Open: from 01.05 to 30.08 museum open 8.00 – 18.00, visiting lasts till 20.00 October 8.00 - 16.00, November - March 8.00 - 14.00 April 9.00 - 16.00 The Skansen of the Lemkos Culture Zyndranowa 38-454 Tylawa tel. 013 4330712 Open: year-round Sundays and holidays 9.00 – 11.00, 14.00 – 15.00 Tuesday - Saturday. 10.00 -17.00, Thursday 12.00 -17.00 Organised groups which had made a reservation beforehand can also visit the museum at times other than the regular operating hours.

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