Barns in Żarki

In the middle of Żarki, a town in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland with town rights from before 1382, behind the parish church and the marketplace stands a complex of historic barns. The old townscape was so tight that farmers could not build barns next to their houses, so they were clustered by the market, in a labyrinth of narrow, winding streets that has survived to this day. It is a rare case of a granary quarter in the centre of a small town.

Fire and rebirth

The first barns were wooden and covered with straw. A fire in 1938 consumed the buildings full of harvest, but they were quickly rebuilt — this time of stone and brick, with roofs covered in tiles. The mercantile character of the place endured: today one of the largest marketplaces in the region operates by the barns, and a fair takes place every Wednesday and Saturday. Food, clothes and live animals are sold here, and local delicacies include buckwheat bread and the Żarki fair bagels.

Granaries and cinema

The barns of Żarki also appeared in film: in 1988 they formed the backdrop of the movie Powrót wabiszczura. On long weekends folk events such as Kupiecki Sąsiek are held by the historic buildings, with stalls inside the barns offering regional souvenirs: sculptures, clay pots and blown eggs. Nearby, the Old Mill with its museum of old crafts and the EtnoJura workshop round off the visit.