Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc

The Sierpc open-air museum (say “SHYER-pts”), officially the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside, is one of the largest skansens in Poland. Across about 60 hectares of river meadows stand more than 80 historic buildings: thatched farmhouses, a wooden church, an 18th-century inn, a smithy, a windmill and a manor house. It is a peaceful, family-friendly place to see how villages north-west of Warsaw looked a century ago, and a familiar backdrop for fans of Polish cinema.

Where it is

Sierpc is a small town in Mazovia (Mazowieckie), about 125 km north-west of Warsaw, roughly two hours by car, and some 30 km north of Płock. Regional trains stop in Sierpc. The museum is at ul. Narutowicza 64 and has its own parking lot: the first hour is free, then 2 PLN per hour.

A short history

The museum was founded on 24 March 1971 at the initiative of local folk sculptors. An ethnographic park was created in 1975 on part of the former Bojanowo estate, and the outdoor exhibition opened in 1985. Buildings were dismantled in villages across north-western Mazovia and rebuilt here; the collection now counts more than 13,000 objects.

What to see

The layout recreates a Mazovian row village, with farmsteads lined up along a road. Highlights include:

• 11 peasant farmsteads from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the striking blue cottages from Czermno and Izdebno,
• the 18th-century inn from Sochocin, now the Pohulanka restaurant serving Polish dishes such as bigos and sourdough rye soup,
• the wooden church from Drążdżewo with its bell tower,
• the smithy from Żuromin and a post windmill,
• the brick manor house with period interiors,
• a gallery of folk sculpture and a carriage house.

A film set village

The museum says more than 50 productions have been shot here, including Andrzej Wajda's “Pan Tadeusz,” Jerzy Hoffman's “With Fire and Sword” and the TV series “Stulecie Winnych.” The meadow by the river once held the film set of the Rozłogi manor from “With Fire and Sword.”

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• October: Tue–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Sat–Sun 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
• November to March: Tue–Sun 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
• Mondays: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., free entry to the grounds only.
• Ticket sales stop one hour before closing; closed on November 1 and December 24, 25 and 31.

Adult tickets cost 30 PLN (reduced 20 PLN). From October to March the price includes a guide, and from October 13 the interiors can only be seen on guided walks at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. Tours are in Polish, but foreign visitors on these walks get a free audio guide in their language. A walk-only winter ticket costs 10 PLN.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you enjoy rural architecture, photography or a slow day outdoors with kids. Allow 2 to 3 hours, or half a day with lunch at the inn. Paths are flat but unpaved, fine for strollers in dry weather. A combined ticket (48 PLN) also covers the town hall in Sierpc and the Museum of a Small Town in Bieżuń.