Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in Katowice

A welcome departure from the industrial monuments route, this fantastic open-air folk park presents rural Silesian life through its aged architectural monuments. Since the late 60s, Chorzow ‘skansen’ has been rescuing endangered or forgotten Silesian structures by hoisting them up and dropping them in this makeshift village laid out over 20 hectares of idyllic countryside. 

Grouped into six ethnographic regions, visitors explore some 70 buildings dating from the late 18th to early 20th century, including traditional thatched-roof homes, granaries, historic wooden churches, wayside shrines, windmills and there’s even an old karczma (inn) where you can get a bite to eat and a beer. Many of the structures are open to enter and have unique historical exhibits inside.  One of the farms even has a few goats and horses, adding some extra magic to this romantic village of architectural artefacts saved from extinction. Reserve at least an hour.

Address: 25 Parkowa Street, Park of Culture & Recreation, Chorzow