Przybyła Brothers' Townhouses (Kamienice Przybyłów)

The Przybyła Brothers' Townhouses in Kazimierz Dolny (roughly "kah-ZHEE-myesh DOL-nee") are two Renaissance merchant houses on the town's Market Square whose carved facades have become the symbol of this small Vistula River town in eastern Poland. Known as the House of St. Nicholas and the House of St. Christopher, they are among the most photographed burgher houses in the country and a must-see on any list of things to do in Kazimierz Dolny.

Where they are and why they matter

Kazimierz Dolny lies in the Lublin region, about 60 km (around an hour by car) west of Lublin and roughly 150 km (about two hours) southeast of Warsaw. In the 16th and 17th centuries the town grew rich shipping grain down the Vistula to Gdańsk, and these houses are the most spectacular evidence of that wealth. The town's historic center is listed as a Monument of History (Pomnik Historii), Poland's top national heritage designation.

A short history

Both houses already stood on the square in the late 16th century, when they were bought by two merchant brothers, Mikołaj (Nicholas) and Krzysztof (Christopher) Przybyła (pronounced roughly "pshi-BIH-wah"). They rebuilt the houses thoroughly. The date 1615 on the facade marks, according to the local tourist office, the completion of the sculpted decoration that covered the earlier, plainer fronts — not the year the houses were built.

The left house, with St. Nicholas, belonged to Mikołaj; the right one, with St. Christopher, to his younger brother. The facades were restored in 1912–1913 under architect Jan Koszczyc Witkiewicz and again in the 1980s.

What to look for

From a distance the two fronts read as one building, but up close you can spot:

• a three-arched arcade at street level on each house,
• tall, openwork attics (decorative parapets) topped with pinnacles,
• reliefs of the owners' patron saints — St. Nicholas with a bishop's crozier and St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child across a river,
• a small figure of the sorrowing Christ, similar to Polish wayside shrines,
• under St. Nicholas's windows, carved animals fighting — a lion with a griffin and a goat with a ram — possibly a reference to the Book of Daniel.

The style blends Italian and Netherlandish Renaissance influences, and most motifs are biblical, reflecting Catholic identity during the Counter-Reformation.

Visiting tips

Viewing the facades is free at any time; the interiors are private or commercial and not open as a museum, so there are no opening hours or tickets to worry about. Allow 15–20 minutes. Afternoon light suits the facades best, and in the evening they are illuminated. Summer weekends are crowded; come early for photos. The square is cobbled but level, so it is manageable with a stroller or wheelchair, if bumpy. Prices in town are in Polish złoty (PLN).

How to get there

There is no train station in Kazimierz Dolny; the nearest is in Puławy, about 14 km away, with local buses to town. From Warsaw Chopin Airport, driving is the simplest option (a little over two hours). Park at one of the official municipal lots, for example on Senatorska Street, and walk to the square.

Nearby

Just behind the square is the Small Market (Mały Rynek) with the former synagogue and wooden market stalls. On Senatorska Street stands the Celej House, a similar Renaissance gem that now houses a museum branch. Uphill are the castle ruins, the watchtower and Three Crosses Hill, the town's best-known viewpoint. Note that the Kazimierz–Janowiec river ferry did not run in the 2026 season because of very low water.