Żywiec Ethnographic Park in Ślemień

The museum in Ślemień calls itself the youngest open-air museum in Poland – it opened in August 2012. On more than 6 hectares beside the road to Kocoń stands a village of the Żywiec Beskids assembled from original buildings moved here from the surrounding area: from a herbalist's cottage built before 1887, through a village school, to a chemist's shop and a water-powered sawmill.

History: a village rebuilt from scratch

The park was created with European Union funding as part of the "Ethnographic Park of the Żywiec Land" project, and in January 2013 a museum was set up to run it. When the buildings were moved, the rule was to keep as much original historic material as possible – so the cottages are not replicas but genuine houses from different periods. According to the museum's website, 19 historic buildings now stand on the site, and the museum is still growing: plans include an orangery for the villa from Skawa and further work on the church from Jasienna. The layout reproduces a typical village of the Żywiec region.

What to see

• The herbalist's cottage from Korbielów – the oldest building in the museum, built before 1887: low log walls, tiny windows, a single room and a beaten-clay floor.
• The school from Rychwałd, 1900 – two rooms divided by a hallway plus a small office; one room was used for four-grade lessons, the other for teaching weaving.
• A farmstead from Rychwałd with a house from 1895, a barn with a cart shed and a well; in the barn stands a chaff cutter made in Zygmunt Rübner's pre-war factory in Żywiec-Zabłocie.
• The cottage from Świnna with carved details in an Alpine-Tyrolean style – a trace of the taste of the Habsburgs, who owned the Żywiec estates.
• The smithy from Ślemień, a granary from Sucha Beskidzka, a cottage from Kuków (1901) and a house from Łękawica (1911) with its holy corner, cradle and beekeeping tools.
• The sawmill from Złatna with its water wheel, a chemist's shop from Międzybrodzie Bialskie and a villa from Skawa in the Zakopane style.

Between the buildings are two half-sunken root cellars, three wells – each drawing water in a different way, one with a sweep – and wayside crosses and shrines. A small shop sells regional souvenirs and drinks.

Workshops and events

All year round the museum runs museum lessons and workshops, from painting wooden toy horses and glass painting to herbal blends in the "From Grandma's Herb Garden" class. Groups can book coffee with home-made yeast cake or a bonfire in a shepherd's hut.

Practical information

Address: ul. Łączna 2a, Ślemień. Opening hours according to the museum: Monday 11:00–15:00, Tuesday–Friday 9:00–16:00, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:00–18:00; last entry one hour before closing. Tickets from 1 January 2026: standard PLN 23, reduced PLN 20; a guide for a group of up to 15 people costs PLN 100. The museum has a car and coach park of almost 1,100 m².

Tripto tip

Allow 1–1.5 hours for an unhurried visit. The cottage interiors are small and come alive with a guide, who will point out details that are easy to miss, such as the window lintels carved in an "ass's back" curve in the house from Łękawica. Check the museum's news page before you go – outdoor events change from season to season.