The Time Machine in Żarki

A living museum of the Middle Ages in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, run by a couple of history enthusiasts — Justyna and Janusz Nowak. The house rule is simple: everything can be touched. Visitors put on an armour and a dress sewn by the owner, write their own name with a goose quill in the scriptorium and shoot a bow.

What a visit looks like

A visit feels like a history lesson in which you play the lead. With the host you go through the weapon collection — almost every type can be picked up. With the hostess you visit a medieval burgher kitchen, a bedroom and a market stall, seeing along the way what medieval townsfolk wore. Writing with a goose quill undoes every bit of confidence: medieval scribes sometimes spent a whole life copying a single book. At the end often comes the shooting challenge — hitting the bullseye with a bow.

Practical information

Address: 19 Leśna Street in Żarki, free parking on site. Plan your visit after arranging it by phone in advance — the museum is small-scale and adapts the programme to the group. Nearby, 0.4 km away, operates the Old Mill, a museum of old crafts, and the JuRajskie Ptaki parrot house is close by, so a day in the Upland fills up easily.