Lusatian Culture Archaeological Reserve in Częstochowa

Beside a viaduct on Aleja Pokoju in the Raków district lie people buried about 2,700 years ago – exactly where they were laid to rest. The Lusatian Culture Archaeological Reserve is a pavilion built directly over part of an ancient cemetery that was discovered during the construction of a tram line. It is one of the few places in Poland where an exhibition was built right over an authentic burial site, and a very different side of Częstochowa from the pilgrimage city.

How it was discovered

Bones and ornaments were found here even before the First World War – back then they were taken to the police station. The cemetery itself was discovered in January 1955, during work on a tram route and a viaduct on Aleja Pokoju. The first finds were destroyed, but that summer archaeologists secured 11 graves. Lack of funds delayed further research until 1960, when 69 graves were uncovered at once. The pavilion was designed by the local architect Włodzimierz Ściegienny, and the driving force behind the reserve was the museum's then director, archaeologist Włodzimierz Błaszczyk. It opened on 9 June 1965.

In 2001–2002 the building was thoroughly renovated, and five more graves were found in the process. Specialists from the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw conserved the finds and skeletal remains, and in 2004 the reserve reopened to visitors.

What to see

• The cemetery in situ – about 100 m² of an Early Iron Age burial ground with graves laid out in rows: 44 inhumations and 25 cremations, covered with pieces of limestone and granite. In the inhumation graves the dead were laid out straight, heads to the south. The museum dates the burials to 750–600 BC; other studies give 750–550 BC.
• Display cases with pots, ornaments, tools and weapons placed beside the dead together with food.
• The permanent exhibition "Out of the Darkness of History" – on how people of the time farmed, what they made, what they believed and how they buried their dead.

Interesting facts

• The graves held two bracelets probably made of meteoritic iron with a very high nickel content.
• Study of the remains revealed traces of a successful trepanation – skull surgery that the patient survived.
• Among the grave goods are three bird-shaped rattles – toys some 2,500 years old.
• The burial ground originally lay on a sand dune by a stream that no longer exists; most of it ended up under the viaduct embankment, so its true size remains unknown.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• Open: Thursday and Friday 9:00–15:30, Saturday 11:00–17:00. Closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday; last entry 30 minutes before closing.
• Tickets: standard PLN 10, reduced PLN 6, family PLN 25 (up to 4 people). On Thursdays the permanent exhibition is free.
• Guide: PLN 50 for a guided tour (not available on Thursdays).

Tripto tip

• Address: ul. Łukasińskiego 20, Raków district, by Aleja Pokoju.
• Time: 45–60 minutes is enough for the pavilion and exhibition.
• Plan ahead – the reserve opens only three days a week, and the museum also closes on certain public holidays. Thursday is the cheapest day.
• Combine your visit with other branches of the Częstochowa Museum, such as the Town Hall on Aleja NMP.