Old Mill – Museum of Old Crafts in Żarki

The Old Mill – Museum of Old Crafts (Stary Młyn) in Żarki ("ZHAR-kee") is a hands-on museum set in a nearly century-old electric mill in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, a limestone region of southern Poland known for its ruined castles. Instead of glass cases, visitors explore original mill machinery and recreated workshops, and try simple tasks themselves. The story of five traditional trades – milling, baking, shoemaking, barrel-making and wheelwrighting – makes it one of the best family-friendly museums in the area.

Where it is and how to get there

Żarki is a small town in the Silesian Voivodeship, about 75 km north-west of Kraków and 27 km from Katowice Airport (Pyrzowice) as the crow flies; Częstochowa is a similar distance to the north-west. The museum is at 5 Ofiar Katynia Street, on regional road 789 toward Lelów, a few hundred meters from the town square. There is parking for cars right next to the mill and coach parking 35 m away. Without a car, take a train to Myszków and then a private minibus to Żarki. A car makes it much easier to combine the museum with other sights in the region.

History of the mill

The building is a former electric mill, close to 100 years old. The municipality of Żarki turned it into a museum, which opened in 2015. The museum describes itself as a kind of "technical park": the preserved milling equipment forms the backdrop for stories about crafts long practiced in Żarki.

What the visit is like

Visits are guided only and last about one hour, starting on the hour. Tours are run in Polish; if you need English, ask when booking. You will see:

• Milling – how grain became flour, shown on the mill's original equipment.
• Baking – how bread was made in a traditional bakery.
• Shoemaking, cooperage and wheelwrighting – tools and techniques for making shoes, barrels and wooden wheels.

At many stations you can touch, operate or try something yourself, which keeps kids engaged. The museum also runs themed workshops, including Christmas workshops for groups in December.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

• Booking: required, due to high demand – call +48 690 070 772 or email poczta@muzeumzarki.pl.
• Opening hours in October: Monday–Friday 8 am–4 pm, Saturday 10 am–4 pm, Sunday 11 am–4 pm. May–September weekends run until 5 pm; Sundays are closed in November and December; from January to March the museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Last entry one hour before closing.
• Tickets: regular PLN 30, reduced PLN 28, family PLN 90 (two adults and two children), groups of 15+ PLN 26 per person. Children under 3 enter free. Bring Polish złoty or check payment options when booking.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially with children or on a rainy day in the Jura region. Nearby you can visit the Leśniów Marian shrine, walk Żarki's Jewish heritage trail with its 19th-century Jewish cemetery, or head to the castle ruins of Mirów and Bobolice on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests. The Krasiński Manor museum in Złoty Potok lies to the north.