While wandering through the charming corners of south-eastern Poland, you are bound to come across a place that will take you on a journey through time and allow you to immerse yourself in the richness of cultures that have for centuries intertwined in this fascinating Polish-Ukrainian borderland. We are talking about the Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok, commonly referred to as the open-air museum. It is not only the largest open-air museum in Poland, but a veritable book of the region’s history, told in the language of wooden architecture, traditional crafts and the everyday life of the former inhabitants of these lands.

It is located in Sanok and is the heart of this story, presenting folk architecture in its most beautiful form. A visit here is an extraordinary opportunity to see with your own eyes how our ancestors lived, learn about their customs and understand the cultural complexity of the Carpathian Mountains, the Low Beskid and the picturesque Podkarpacie. The museum presents the culture and heritage of such groups as Boykos, Lemkos, Pogórzans or Dolinians, as well as the former inhabitants of Galician towns.

It is a place that evokes reflection and invites you to actively explore your heritage. Coming back from Solina one day, we just had Sanok on our route, an ideal stop to discover this extraordinary world (especially if you like such trips into the past).

History of the museum: from the idea to implementation

The history of the Sanok open-air museum goes back deep into the post-war years, when the idea of protecting the region’s unique wooden folk architecture, which had begun to disappear, was born. The need to preserve this cultural heritage was urgent (although, as is often the case, the implementation of such projects can be long and complicated). Thanks to the commitment of passionate people and the support of institutions, the vision turned into reality, creating today one of the most important ethnographic museums in the country. But how did it actually begin? In addition to the Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok, there are other skans in Poland, but the Sanok one is unique.

The beginnings of the museum and its founders

The idea to create a museum was born just after the Second World War. A key role was played by Jerzy Tur, the provincial conservator of historical monuments in Rzeszów, who suggested the idea of creating an open-air museum. His vision was started by Aleksander Rybicki, then head of the ethnographic department at the Historical Museum in Sanok. It was thanks to their determination that, in 1958, the Ministry of Culture and Art established the institution, which initially functioned as the “Open Air Museum under Construction”.

Aleksander Rybicki became the first director of the Folk Building Museum (he held this position from 1958 to 1972) and, as Tadeusz Polak described in the “Museum Board Information Bulletin”, was “the creator of many theoretical principles in open-air museology”. From the very beginning, the MBL in Sanok was the largest open-air museum in Poland, which testifies to the scale of the undertaking and the foresight of its creators.

In subsequent years, the development of the museum was overseen by Jerzy Czajkowski (1973-1999), Jerzy Ginalski (1999-2023) and currently by Marcin Krowiak (since 2023). It is also worth mentioning a wide range of scientists and employees, such as Roman Reinfuss, Ksawery Piwocki, Ignacy Tłoczek or Halina Nowina Konopka, who co-created this extraordinary place by conducting ethnographic research and collecting priceless exhibits. Can you imagine the amount of work involved in assembling such a huge collection?

Development and expansion of the open-air museum over the years

The beginnings were modest, but dynamic. As early as 1960, the headquarters of the Folk Architecture Museum were moved to the Inn building. The museum’s site, located on Biała Góra, in the Wójtostwo district, on the San River and at the foot of the Sanocko-Turczańskie Mountains, proved to be an ideal place to present a variety of building types. Halina Konopka drew up a spatial development plan, which envisaged the creation of sectors corresponding to individual ethnographic groups.

It was planned to relocate other buildings, such as the house of the Bogdański family from Jaśliska or the Orthodox church from Grąziowa. Over 100 objects of wooden construction have been collected in the Ethnographic Park, and currently their number reaches about one hundred and fifty. These are not only residential houses, but also farm, industrial and sacral buildings, dating from the xvii to xx century.

The Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok operates in south-eastern Poland, presenting folk culture, residential, economic, industrial and sacral buildings. The institution celebrated its anniversaries – 25th anniversary in 1983 and 40th anniversary in 1998, which proves its well-established position on the map of Polish museology.

The museum is also very active in publishing, publishing, among others, the yearbook “Materiały Muzeum Budownictwa Ludowego w Sanoku” on the ethnography of the Podkarpacie region and the periodical “Acta Scansenologica”. In addition, the museum has a specialised library and a rich archive, and its staff, in addition to collecting and conserving collections, also conduct research on the culture and history of ethnographic groups such as the Boykos, Lemkos, Pogórzanie and Dolinians.

The museum’s field branch is the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Ulucz, about twenty kilometres from Sanok.

Architecture and exposition: gems of wooden architecture

At the heart of the Sanok open-air museum is an impressive collection of wooden buildings, which have been painstakingly brought from various corners of the region and recreated on the White Mountain. Walking through the alleys of the Ethnographic Park, you have the impression that you are stepping back in time and visiting authentic villages and towns from bygone eras. It is the architecture that tells the most interesting stories here (and, it must be said, does so in an extremely evocative way).

Farmhouses: a variety of styles and regions

In the museum you will find a variety of examples of residential construction, from simple cottages to more affluent houses. Cottages from Rivne (dating from 1824) and Dydnia show typical rural architecture. A cottage from Dąbrówka dating from 1681 is one of the oldest objects in the collection, testifying to the durability of wooden construction, (impressive, right?). You will also see a cottage from Nadolany (1866) or a wheelwright’s cottage from Posada Sanocka, located in the Dolinian sector.

Each house has its own history and characteristics, reflecting local building traditions, the availability of materials (it was often fir wood used to build narrow and long cottages called chyżs) and the social status of the inhabitants. Also presented here are half-timbered houses, characteristic of some areas of the Subcarpathian region, such as those in the vicinity of Rzeszów, Łańcut, Przeworsk or Przemyśl. Even as far as Kalwaria Pacławska, the Saxon/Franconian tradition of half-timbered houses has been preserved, which shows how far these influences reached.

Farm buildings: from barns to smithies

Life in the countryside was not limited to the house. Farm buildings played a key role. In the open-air museum, you will see barns, granaries (such as the historic one from 1732, which houses the “Pod Bílá Gora” Inn), cowsheds, as well as buildings related to crafts and rural industry. Examples include the oilman’s homestead in Barycz, the watermill in Wola Komborska or the windmill in Urzejowice (as well as the windmill in Domaradz). These buildings of economic and industrial construction perfectly illustrate the daily life, work and resourcefulness of the region’s former inhabitants.

The open-air museum also includes an archaeological site, where traces of a Celtic settlement (Anartic tribe) and an early medieval settlement have been discovered, further emphasising the deep roots of settlement in the area.

Sacral sites: Orthodox churches, churches and their unique architecture

Sacral buildings were an important element of the landscape of the Subcarpathian and Carpathian regions. The Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok presents an impressive collection of wooden churches. The open-air museum’s exposition includes the Roman Catholic church of St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker from Bączal Dolny (dating from 1667), as well as three beautiful Greek Catholic churches, relocated from Rosolin (St. Onufry the Hermit Church), Grąziowa (Nativity of the Mother of God Church) and Ropki (Nativity of the Mother of God Church Church).

These buildings, which often feature Baroque Orthodox church architecture developed in the xvii century in the Danube area, bear witness to the religious and architectural diversity of the region. They form the heart of the exhibition and add an element of authenticity to the landscape. The museum also has a collection of “Carpathian Icons” – an exposition of orthodox church paintings from the xv to xx century, which is housed in a brick house relocated from Novosiolki near Baligrod. An xviii-century synagogue from Połaniec, reconstructed in the traditional manner, is also a faithful copy.

Urban sector: reconstruction of a Galician market square

In addition to rural buildings, the Museum enriched its exhibition with the Urban Sector, which is a reconstruction of a Galician market square from a typical Podkarpacie town from the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The project to build a small-town sector was conceived in the early 1980s in the studio of Aleksander Rybicki, but unfortunately it took years to complete.

The Galician Market was officially opened on 16 September 2011. This sector presents bourgeois life, with distinctive houses, artisan workshops and shops. It is an impoverished type of gabled, wooden bourgeois house, but faithful to the realities of the time. Walking through the Market Square is like stepping onto a film set, as has happened here more than once! (which is to be expected from such picturesque scenery).

Ethnographic groups: a wealth of cultures in one area. Do you know them?

The Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok tells the story of the people who inhabited the Polish-Ruthenian borderland, which includes the Bieszczady Mountains, the Beskid Niski (Low Beskid), the Jasielsko-Sanocka Holes and the Ciężkowice, Dynowskie, Przemyskie and Strzyżowskie Foothills. The museum presents the culture and traditions of the four main ethnographic groups of the area: Foothills, Lemkos, Boykos and Dolinians. Each of these groups has made a unique contribution to the cultural mosaic of the region.

The Pogórzanie: Characteristics, customs and traditions

Pogórzanie (also called Głuchoniemce, although this name is sometimes controversial, Wincenty Pol wrote about Głuchoniemce settled in the area of Wisłoka, Ropa, Jasło, Jasło and Wisłoka rivers, from the Sanok pits, among others. He wrote that the Głuchoniemce settled in the area of the Wisłoka, Ropa, Jasło, Jasło and Wisłoka rivers, from the Sanok pits, e.g. in the vicinity of Kombornia, Haczów or Trześniów, as well as in the Grybów department, in Szymbark and in the Pilźno area belonging to the Sandomierz Province) is a group identified by Franciszek Kotula and Roman Reinfuss. The name of the group was introduced by Adam Wójcik. The Pogórzanie inhabiting the Podkarpacie region were a Polish (polonised), typically agricultural people.

In the open-air museum we can admire their buildings, including a cottage from Niebocka (1901), which is the house of a manor worker, or buildings from the Ciężkowice and Jasło Foothills, such as a weaver’s cottage from Korczyna (1790), a potter’s farm from Rzepiennik or a cottage from Ustrobna. Also on display is a vicarage from Ropa and a village school from Wydrna. The Głuchoniemcy were also depicted in an engraving by Zygmunt Ajdukiewicz. Their roots can be traced back to Saxon settlers from Hungary or Transylvania, who had settled in the area since the Middle Ages.

The descendants of the old settlers from the Iwonicz area, described by Władysław Bełza, were neighbours of the Ruthenian and Mazurian peoples, which shows the ethnic complexity of the region. The museum also features a manor house from Święcany from the late xixth century, representing manorial culture.

Lemkos and Boykos: history, culture and architecture

Lemkos and Boykos are groups of Ruthenian peoples who inhabited the mountainous and foothill areas of the Carpathian Mountains. Both groups are descendants of Ruthenian-Volga settlers who entered the Sanok mountains in large numbers in the xv century, at that time owned entirely by a dozen or so noble families.

The Lemkos on the Polish side of the Carpathians lived from the Biała River in the west to the Osława and Osławica in the east. The vast majority of Lemkos were engaged in agriculture, although an intelligentsia (clergy and teachers) also developed in towns such as Tylicz, Krynica and Grybow. Their architecture was distinguished by the influence of Slovak and Podgórze architecture. In the Lemko sector of the Sanok park there was an Orthodox church moved from the village of Ropki near Gorlice, as well as a hut from Komańcza (1885) and a single-building homestead from the end of the xixth century from Królik Polski.

The Boykos lived in areas further east. They were known, among other things, for distributing salt from the salt mines throughout Red Russia. Narrow and long cottages called chyżs, built of fir wood, are a characteristic element of their construction. Baroque Orthodox church architecture, formed in the xvii century in the Trans-Dnieper areas, influenced the entire Red Ruthenian lands, as can be seen in the Boyko churches.

In the Boyko sector of the Ethnographic Park in Sanok, there is an Orthodox church complex from Rosolin (St Onufry Church from 1750), an Orthodox church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Grąziowa and a farmstead from Skorodne. Individual houses, Lemkos’ or Boykos’ cottages are authentic houses inhabited by them, relocated and painstakingly reconstructed in the open-air museum. Apparently, as my guide friend says, each of these houses has its own soul.

The Dolinians: cultural and constructional characteristics

The Dolinians are a group who used to live near Sanok and Lesko. They were a mixed Polish-Ruthenian group. Their culture and construction were often syncretic, combining influences of neighbouring groups. In the open-air museum, you will see buildings of the Dolinians which illustrate their lifestyle and economy. These include the aforementioned cottage from Posada Sanocka from the end of the xixth century or the farmstead from Pielgrzymka (1870). This part of the exhibition allows us to understand how different traditions could coexist and intermingle in the Polish-Ruthenian borderland. One wonders what their daily communication was like, since languages and customs were so intertwined.

Visiting the museum: practical information and tips

When planning a visit to the Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok, there are a few practical tips to help you have a comfortable and eventful visit to this vast Ethnographic Park. Although the area is large and the objects are scattered, you can plan it so that you see the essentials.

How to get to the museum and where to park?

The Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok is located at Rybickiego 3. You can get to Sanok by car, train or bus. The town has good transport connections to, among others, Krosno (approx. 40km), Przemyśl (approx. 70km) and Rzeszów (approx. 75km).

If you are already in Sanok, it is about 1.5 km from the town centre to the open-air museum, which takes about 5 minutes by car. You can also take a pleasant walk. From the Market Square, passing the Franciscan Church, the Castle and the Orthodox Church, walk down towards the San. For those who prefer public transport, the “0” bus runs on the route from the station to the Park. A car park for motorists is available next to the museum (although it can be crowded in high season).

Opening hours and ticket prices

The Ethnographic Park is usually open from early morning to late afternoon, according to publicly available information, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. However, it is always worth checking the current hours as they can vary according to the season. Admission to the open-air museum in Sanok is reasonably priced – for an adult, a ticket costs 17 zlotys, and children under 7 enter free of charge. There is a 25% discount for Big Family Card holders, which is a good deal for families visiting the open-air museum. The current ticket price list and a map of the open-air museum are available on the museum’s official website. It is advisable to plan a suitable time for your visit, as the grounds are very extensive.

Before visiting the Open Air Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok, it is worth looking for practical information; a virtual walk or the availability of an online camera are tools which often allow you to get acquainted with some of the Sanok Open Air Museum’s exhibits before you arrive.

Facilities for families with children

The open-air museum in Sanok is a great place for a trip with children. The spacious grounds allow for free movement, and the variety of objects means that the tour is not monotonous. Children can see up close what old cottages, village schools or craft workshops looked like.

In the Ethnographic Park you can take advantage of the “U Tesi” Gallery’s offer of horse-drawn carriage rides (sleigh rides in winter), which will certainly be an additional attraction for the youngest (it is even possible to hire a wedding carriage!). After the tour, it is worth visiting the “Pod Białą Górą” Inn, which is located in a historical granary and serves delicious regional dishes. It is one of the dining options in the open-air museum, alongside another restaurant offering meals in an atmospheric setting.

The park also has a covered stage (120m2) with dressing rooms and a covered auditorium seating around 1,500, making it possible to hold outdoor events. It is also possible to hold a bonfire on the museum grounds.

Additional attractions in the vicinity of the museum

Sanok and its surroundings offer many other attractions that are worth combining with a visit to the open-air museum. Sanok itself, one of the oldest and largest towns in the Subcarpathian region, picturesquely situated on the San River at the foot of the Slonne Mountains and the Bukowskie Foothills, has a rich history and charming architecture. Are you planning to stay here longer?

Tourist attractions in and around Sanok

In addition to the open-air museum and the Historical Museum in the Castle, Sanok offers a charming Market Square with the Franciscan Church. A walk along Jagiellońska Street leads straight into the heart of the town. In Sanok itself, the already mentioned Orthodox Church in Olchowce is worth seeing. In the surroundings, the ruins of the Carmelite monastery in Zagórz, the ruins of the Sobień castle in Manasterz or the Slonné Mountains Landscape Park, ideal for hiking, are worth seeing.

The Podkarpacie region is also the oldest oil mining centre in the world, which is reminiscent of the oil sector in a museum. There are as many as 29 wooden buildings related to this industry, transferred from 14 localities in the Podkarpacie region, including Bóbrka, Grabownica, Mokrego, Tokarnia, Wańkowa, Ropienka or Łodyna. Haczów is home to the violin-making workshop of Stanisław Wyżykowski.

Hiking trails and places worth visiting

For active tourists, Sanok is a gateway to the Bieszczady Mountains. From here, you have excellent access to numerous hiking trails, which lead through picturesque meadows and wooded hills. The Trail of Wooden Architecture is a proposal for lovers of historic sacral and secular buildings. On this trail you will find many historic Orthodox churches and churches, including the Greek Catholic church in Bystry.

The Icon Trail of the San Valley is another interesting thematic proposal. Nearby are the Solina Lake and the San River, offering opportunities for water sports and fishing. The Bieszczady is a land of unique landscape, protected among others by the Bieszczady National Park. The Rabski Potok Valley is a great place for a walk with the family, and the climb to Okrąglik from Cisna is a challenge for more experienced hikers. The region abounds in places where nature and culture form a unique whole.

Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok: the cultural heritage of the region

The Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok, known as the Ethnographic Park, is a place of great importance for the preservation and presentation of the cultural heritage of the Polish-Ruthenian borderland. It is not only an open-air museum, but a living lesson in history, tradition and culture, which allows us to understand the roots of the inhabitants of the Podkarpacie region, the Bieszczady Mountains and the Low Beskids. The Museum was established in 1958 thanks to the commitment of visionaries such as Jerzy Tur and Aleksander Rybicki, and since then it has systematically collected and made available priceless artefacts of folk, bourgeois, manorial and sacred culture, as well as Judaica.

Displacement during Operation Vistula in 1947 led to significant population changes, and the museum has become a place where the memory of the former inhabitants and their culture is nurtured. Here you can see the cottages of the Lemkos or Boykos, which were their authentic homes, and learn about the peculiarities of the construction of the Pogórzans and Dolinians. The Galician marketplace lives here as it did over 100 years ago.

Residential, economic and religious buildings, such as the Roman Catholic church from Bączal Dolny (St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker Church) or the Greek Catholic churches from Grąziowa, Rosolin and Ropki (as well as a branch in Ulucz), add an element of authenticity to the landscape and remind visitors of the region’s complex past.

The museum is at the heart of these sites, and its research and publishing activities (including “Materials of the MBL in Sanok” and “Acta Scansenologica”) contribute to deepening the knowledge of the ethnographic groups of the Boykos, Lemkos, Foothills and Dolinians. A visit to the Sanok open-air museum is a journey into history and tradition, which allows one to appreciate the cultural richness of these extraordinary lands. The Folk Architecture Museum in Sanok allows you to immerse yourself in the history of the Podkarpackie region, which, when I was working on a similar topic recently, turned out to be a fascinating experience. Visitors often share their positive opinions about the Folk Building Museum in Sanok, emphasising its educational value and the natural beauty of the exhibition.

In addition, the calendar of events at the Sanok open-air museum includes a variety of events, including a cyclical antique market, which is very popular.