Sztygarka Town Museum in Dąbrowa Górnicza

The Sztygarka Town Museum tells the story of the Dąbrowa Basin (Zagłębie Dąbrowskie) in a Neoclassical building at ul. Legionów Polskich 69 in Dąbrowa Górnicza, and its biggest draw is the Training Mine – real underground workings where future miners trained for decades. A visit combines exhibitions on industry, geology and travel with a trip underground, in a helmet, into tunnels lined with machines and mine cars.

History: bank, mining school, museum

The building was erected in 1839–1842 as the seat of the Bank of Poland and the Western Mining District Board; the design is attributed to Franciszek Maria Lanci. From 1889 it housed a mining school, later the State School of Mining and Metallurgy – the source of the nickname "Sztygarka" (from sztygar, a mine foreman). The town's museum tradition goes back to April 1910, when the Geological Museum of the Polish Sightseeing Society opened in the Citizens' Club. Its collections were looted during the First World War, and what remained went to the mining school, which ran a school museum for many years. The Town Museum in its present form was established by a city council resolution on 19 November 1997.

What to see

• "History Written in Coal and Silver" – the story of mining and metallurgy in Dąbrowa in the 19th and 20th centuries, with reconstructions of old techniques and archaeological finds.
• "How Miners and Farmers Lived in the Zagłębie Region" – the everyday life and material culture of local people.
• The geological history of Zagłębie – including how the hard-coal deposits formed.
• The Seven Continents Room – objects from around the world and mementoes of Polish travellers.
• Adam Piwowar – Revolutionary, Freemason, Geologist – a biographical exhibition on a Sztygarka graduate.

The museum also runs the open-air Reduta Military History Park, opened on 22 June 2013. It displays military equipment, including vehicles that the museum restores itself.

The Training Mine

Construction began in April 1927 and the first stage was completed in 1929; the workings totalled about 250 m. Students learned about mining equipment, took ventilation measurements and drove tunnels – practical classes continued right up to 1994. The mine has three levels and exposes two hard-coal seams (nos. 401 and 402). Along the route you will see a coal shearer, conveyors and mine cars, as well as training stations for mechanics and electrics. It opened to tourists on 2 January 2010, and since 26 October 2010 it has been part of the Silesian Industrial Monuments Route. Nearby, on a small square, stands a monument to Stanisław Staszic.

Tripto tips

• Tickets (as of October 2026): museum – PLN 15 standard, PLN 10 reduced, free on Wednesdays; Training Mine – PLN 30 and PLN 20, booking required.
• Museum hours: Tue, Wed, Sat 9:00–15:00, Thu 9:00–19:00, Fri 9:00–13:00, Sun 11:45–16:00; closed on Mondays.
• Mine for individual visitors: Thursday 12:00–18:00, Saturday 9:00–15:00, Sunday 12:00–16:00. Collect your tickets at the museum desk 15 minutes before entry.
• Before going underground: children from 6 may visit with an adult; bring a jacket and closed shoes – flip-flops or high heels will not be admitted. There are no working toilets in the mine.
• Time needed: allow 2.5–3 hours for the museum and mine.