Museums

Chamber of Tradition and Old Culture in Siewierz

Just behind the market square of Siewierz, next to the parish church, stands a single-storey manor house with a mansard shingle roof and dormers — the Old Municipality Building. This late-classicist, two-tract residence with a central hall was built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries on the initiative of the Frank family and served for decades as the seat of a rural municipality. Since 2005 it has housed the Chamber of Tradition and Old Culture.

The collections

The chamber has gathered almost 2,000 exhibits: archaeological artefacts, paintings, sculptures and handicrafts. The stars of the collection are the models — of the 18th-century castle in Siewierz, once the seat of the bishops of Kraków, and of the 16th-century town hall that no longer exists. Visitors can buy souvenir coins and seals, including four Siewierz ducats.

A living duchy

The building also houses a Tourist Information point and the Siewierz Duchy Reenactment Banner, a group recalling the times when Siewierz was the capital of its own duchy. It makes a good first stop before exploring the castle and the town.

Practical information

The chamber is open on weekdays 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., closed at weekends. Tickets: regular PLN 6, reduced PLN 4. Contact: tel. 32/674-24-61, more at kultura.siewierz.pl.