Museums

Regional Museum in Stary Sącz

The Regional Museum in Stary Sącz is housed in a historic 17th-century burgher house by the market square, known as the „Dom na Dołkach”. It is run by the Society of Friends of Stary Sącz, initiated by the collector and antiquarian Józef Paszkiewicz. Its beginnings go back to 1956, when the Regional Chamber opened; the name Regional Museum was introduced in 1976, and its patron became Seweryn Udziela, an ethnographer and researcher of folk culture.

Two institutions share the same building. The Seweryn Udziela Regional Museum occupies seven rooms: alongside sacred art there is a biographical room dedicated to Ada Sari, an opera singer associated with Stary Sącz, and a historical exhibition with memorabilia of St Kinga and the visits of King John III Sobieski and Pope John Paul II. Three rooms are devoted to ethnography — local crafts and the culture and heritage of the Lachy Sądeckie highlanders. A memorial room recalls distinguished residents: the historian Henryk Barycz, Feliks Szczęsny Morawski, the painter Bronisława Rychter-Janowska and Jan Joachim Czech.

The Tischner memorial room

On the floor, since 2004, the Museum of Father Józef Tischner has operated. It gathers the furnishings of the priest's family home, his books, documents and photographs. His sermons are played back, and a biographical film introduces visitors to his life. It is a rare opportunity to follow the path of one of the most recognisable Polish clergymen of the second half of the 20th century.

Practical information

The standard ticket costs PLN 12, the reduced one PLN 8, the family ticket PLN 28. From May to September the museum is open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–16:00 (in July and August until 17:00), on Sunday mornings; from October to April the opening hours are shorter on all days. Mondays are closed all year round.