Historic Barns in Żarki

In the eastern part of Żarki, next to one of the largest markets in the region, stands a group of several dozen historic barns built of limestone and brick. They were put up after a fire in 1938 destroyed the earlier timber, thatched buildings. Today they are a rare surviving example of a "town of barns" in Poland, and on Saturdays trading goes on around them much as it did centuries ago.

History: fire and rebuilding

The first barns were built here by local farmers around 1900 to store crops and farm equipment. They were made of timber with thatched roofs, so the fire of 1938 destroyed them all. Before the end of the 1930s new buildings of limestone and brick had replaced them, with gabled roofs covered in tiles. Until recently 40 barns could be seen; today 32 remain – some have become workshops, others are falling into ruin.

Żarki itself has a long trading tradition: it received town rights before 1382, and after the war the market moved from the main square to the barn complex. The narrow, winding lanes of the town centre preserve a layout that is decades old.

What to see

• Rows of stone barns in pale limestone, mixed with red brick at the corners and around the gates.
• The market, covering about 1.5 ha, where up to 500 traders sell their goods on Saturdays.
• Kupiecki Sąsiek – a fair held in one of the barns on the Saturdays of long weekends (in May, June and August) and on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, with a folk band, regional products and souvenirs.
• Tatarczuch bread and other local treats, sold during the fairs.

Did you know?

Żarki appeared in the 1989 film "Powrót wabiszczura" – it was shot here as well as in Łódź, on the Błędów Desert and in Uzbekistan. One of the barns houses a craft workshop, showing how the historic buildings can find a new life.

Tripto tips

The barn complex (ul. Ofiar Katynia, 42-310 Żarki) is accessible all year, and it is liveliest on Saturday mornings when the market is on. Allow 30–45 minutes for a stroll among the barns; watch out for damaged buildings with collapsing roofs and do not go inside them. The Museum of Old Crafts in the Old Mill is only about 250 m away, and there is a sweet workshop in the centre of Żarki, so you can easily spend half a day here.