Medieval Settlement in Huta Szklana

At the approach to Święty Krzyż from the Bieliny side, the gate of a wooden village is guarded by three pagan deities – Świst, Poświst and Pogoda, who according to old accounts were worshipped on Łysa Góra. Behind the palisade of the Medieval Settlement in Huta Szklana stand a dozen or so thatched huts in which re-enactors play villagers from the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries and demonstrate traditional crafts.

History: a village built from scratch

The settlement was built with EU funds on a site of more than 1.5 ha, and its official opening took place on 8 May 2011. In its very first season, which ran until the end of October, it drew around 15,000 visitors. It is run by the Świętokrzyskie Mountains Centre for Tradition and Tourism. In July 2012 the attic of the inn at the heart of the settlement burned down; it was rebuilt, with its straw roof replaced by wooden shingles.

What sets the settlement apart from similar reconstructions in Poland is its permanent workshops led by trained re-enactors. It is a "living" village – the main attraction is the people rather than the buildings.

What to see and try

• Craft workshops: pottery, blacksmithing, shoemaking, basket weaving and textile weaving – you can shape your own clay pot or try your hand at the loom.
• The beekeeper's homestead – a medieval forest beekeeper who gathered honey from tree hollows.
• The herbalist's hut with a hearth and a garden full of herbs.
• A farmstead enclosed by a woven fence, with a cottage whose walls are daubed with clay under a straw thatch.
• The settlement game – a treasure hunt with a prize.
• The inn at the centre of the settlement, a venue for folk events and regional food.

Interesting facts

Residents of Bieliny municipality can visit free of charge on showing an ID card. The village does not open out of season – as the Centre's director explained at the time, a weaver or potter can hardly work in unheated huts in winter. Camping is also possible by the settlement.

Tripto tip

Allow 1.5–2 hours for a visit including one workshop. The settlement lies right at the approach to Święty Krzyż, so it combines easily with the abbey, the crypt of Jeremi Wiśniowiecki and the stone field (gołoborze) in Świętokrzyski National Park. The season usually runs from spring to autumn – check current opening hours and ticket prices with the Centre for Tradition and Tourism before you go.