The Etnographic park in Wygiełzów

Between Kraków and Oświęcim, at the feet of the medieval Lipowiec castle extends the Vistula Etnographic Park, which introduces visitors to the culture of Western Cracovians. Apart from traditional costumes, you can admire architecture and exhibits associated with everyday life.

Because of dr. Hanna Pieńkowska, the Cracovian monument conservator, the region of Lesser Poland became a place of one of the largest collections of open-air museums in Poland. This amateur of Lesser Poland’s wooden architecture served asc a regional monument conservator for 26 years from 1951 until her death in 1976. As a conservator, she was working to the benefit of saving monumental Tatra mountain huts, which she admired along with her husband – Tadeusz Staich.
It is alos worth mentioning that most of the objects that were conservated by Hanna Pieńkowska are still fulfilling their original functions today.

The Vistula Etnographic Park in Wygiełzów became available for visitors on October 15th 1973 (The project was developed in 1965 and went into production in 1968) and presents the culture of Western Cracovians, who are the exact same people, whose costume was popularized by Tadeusz Kościuszko during the famous Kościuszko Insurection of 1794. That costume quickly became a synonym of a national costume.

But the culture of the Western Cracovians is more than just costumes, which is proven by the Vistula Etnographic Park, where we can learn, how the Cracovians used to live in the old times.
The characteristic thing about this part of Lesser Poland were the multi-building barns, which can also be admired at the museum.
The Vistula Etnographic Park is located at the bottom of the hill with the Lipowiec Castle.