Those interested in the rural architecture and working life of Orawa will find a focused introduction at the Muzeum - Orawski Park Etnograficzny in Zubrzyca Górna. Historic residential and farm buildings, workshops and religious buildings show different aspects of village life. You can tailor your visit to your own interests, with architecture, domestic culture and craftwork presented as distinct themes.
Village life and regional architectural styles
The Orawski Park Etnograficzny illustrates village life in Orawa through historic houses and a manor house, farm buildings and workshops. It also features household items and decorative elements, as well as chapels, a church, a rectory, a school and an inn. Wood is the main building material, alongside paper, clay and straw. Different types of buildings and materials are presented side by side, rather than focusing on just one architectural style.
The site covers about 12 hectares and is divided spatially into two parts. Permanent exhibitions, smaller architectural structures and the surrounding nature are all part of the complex. The area is an approximate figure; together with the division into two parts, it gives a brief sense of the site's layout.
The historic buildings relocated from various places in Upper Orawa include the Czarna Karczma and a granary from Podwilk, the house of Alojzy Dziubek from Jabłonka, the wooden Church of Our Lady of the Snows from Tokarnia, and a rectory from Podwilk. The place names identify the origins of individual examples and show that the complex brings together buildings from several places in Upper Orawa.
Crafts and architecture in detail
Along the themed route on rural economy in Orawa, the museum presents a sawmill, a mill, smithies, a fulling mill, an oil mill, a mangling machine, an apiary and a replica of a dye works from Orawka. The collection brings together different kinds of work, from sawing and milling to processing, crafts and beekeeping. The themed route thus offers a distinct focus alongside the residential buildings and their domestic life.
One architectural feature found in some wooden houses is the wyżka, a storage room in the attic above a living space. Access was via a small balcony and beams that projected beyond the building's footprint. Explaining the term clarifies the room's function: the wyżka is a storage space, not simply another living area.
The Dwór Moniaków consists of six buildings that have stood on this site for more than 400 years. Its long-standing location provides a different focus from the relocated buildings identified by their places of origin: here, the historic ensemble itself takes center stage.
Visiting and further information
The Church of St. Michael the Archangel is also in Zubrzyca Górna, on provincial road 957. It is another named place in the village.
An admission ticket is required to visit the Muzeum - Orawski Park Etnograficzny. Individuals and organized groups can visit the museum with a guide or independently; check the latest visitor information in advance. Activities include workshops, exhibition openings, occasional posiady gatherings and outdoor events. If an event is a specific reason for your trip, check the museum's current schedule.
Discover more destinations: Maruszyna, Czarny Dunajec, Lasek, Kacwin, Podwilk, Ochotnica Dolna, Jablonka, Łapsze Niżne
For the broader travel overview: Nowotarski.
