The Museum of Folk Culture in Sidzina was established in the 1960s. It is on the Wooden Architecture Trail. We can see the examples of typical households of the Babiogórcy highlanders and the Kliszczacy highlanders, these days no longer existing in real life. At first, it was a branch of the Orava Ethnographic Park in Zubrzyca Górna and it has been an independent self-government culture institution since 2009 and the Rural Commune in Bystra-Sidzina is the organizer of the Open air Museum. It is a very attractive place not only due to the historical buildings but also due to its charming location and relaxing atmosphere.

At the moment the exposition includes eight buildings – four village houses, a Loreto bell tower, a garner, a water mill and a smithy. All of them come from the 19th and 20th centuries. Banasik’s chimney-less hut with decorative wood carved finish comes from 1807 and its interiors are equipped with household items and decorations from the first half of the 19th century. Anna Kozioł’s village house is a building from 1901. It is here where temporary exhibitions, meetings, and workshops are held. The Chamber of National Remembrance was opened in the garner and it has a record of the Invasion of Poland in 1939 and the warfare. In Maj’s village house (which comes from the second half of the 18th century) we can see how a local village house of a vogt was arranged. In the black room (with a stove) we can see a weaving workshop with all kinds of tools needed for the flax processing. The 19th-century croft is now used by the administration of the Open air Museum and some temporary exhibitions are organized here. In the smithy (which is from the second half of the 19th century) we can find a fully equipped workshop – a furnace, leather bellows, an anvil and tools needed in the workshop. The Loreto bell tower comes from 1937. The picturesque water mill now houses a carpentry shop from the 19th century.

On the green premises of the museum, one can find a lot of wooden sculptures made by Bartłomiej Trzon and portraying figures from the local legends and fairy tales.

The establishment is an important education center. You can find a trail dedicated to herbs here. There are various workshops organized here – about traditional handicraft and folk art as well as multimedia shows. The folk events organized every year are a great occasion to experience a certain time travel in order to learn some history of the local community. These events are to emphasize cultural distinctiveness and the richness of tradition, e.g. “The charm of flavours and past ages” or “Between the contemporary and the past”.

The Open Air Museum in Sidzina is developing. It’s a museum that you visit lots of times not only to see the new expositions but mostly to participate in attractive activities arranged by the hosts. The place is worth visiting because you can get some rest here among the greenery and its unique atmosphere, especially that you can organize a barbecue and a family meeting.

Skansen Muzeum Kultury Ludowej
34-236 Sidzina, Binkówka
tel. (+48) 501 597 208
e-mail: skansensidzina@interia.pl
www.skansen.bystra-sidzina.net