Weavers' Houses in Międzylesie

On Sobieskiego street stand two houses that seem to belong to another age: tall, steep roofs, board-clad gables facing the street and arcades on wooden posts. They are the last of seven weavers' houses known locally as the "Seven Brothers" – a reminder of the time when Międzylesie lived from flax and linen.

History

The group was built at the end of the 18th century. Weavers lived in the houses and had their workshops there, producing linen and cloth from flax grown in the area. At the start of the 20th century there were still seven houses, and before the Second World War a small regional museum showing domestic weaving workshops was set up in them. Despite repairs, five of the houses were demolished in the 1970s. The remaining two were partly reconstructed.

What to look for

• The construction – single-storey houses of timber and masonry with two-level attics of log construction, braced by wooden posts set against the outer walls.
• The arcades on the street side, on chamfered wooden posts.
• The gables clad in boards and the shingle roofs.
• Simple doorways and framed windows – details that survived the reconstruction.

Tripto tip

The houses are in everyday use today, so you see them from the street – 10 minutes is enough. Add them to a walk around Międzylesie: from the castle and Corpus Christi Church through the market square with its Marian column to Sobieskiego street is a few minutes on foot. The best shot is from the front, with both gables side by side.