Open-Air Museum in Sanok: Galician Market and Museum of Folk Architecture

The Museum of Folk Architecture, also known as the famous open-air museum in Sanok, along with the so-called Galician Market, is the largest ethnographic park in Poland. Is it worth visiting, what will we see, and what attractions await us at the open-air museum in Sanok?

Open-Air Museum in Sanok - What Will We See?

Before we enter the old village world, we first arrive at the so-called small-town sector. The Galician Market was created here in 2011 and has been one of the main attractions of the museum since then.

Galician Town in the Open-Air Museum in Sanok

The open-air museum in Sanok is not just about village farms! The reconstructed typical Galician market of a small town allows us to visit craftsmen's workshops and see the assortment of old shops.

We especially recommend visiting the doctor's office. Here, we will find not only historical equipment but also an amazing documentary story about Ignacy Bielecki: a true "doctor of all medical sciences" and a social activist from Rymanów.

Right next to the Galician Market, a reconstruction of a wooden city synagogue is being built. Maybe it will soon be open for visitors?

Attractions of the Open-Air Museum in Sanok

After leaving the market, we enter a picturesque world of meadows and groves, representing the villages of the Subcarpathian region. Walking along the dirt roads, we will reach several distinct sectors: Boyko, Lemko, and Pogórzanie.

A separate attraction is the 19th-century noble manor from Święcany, located on a small hill.

Churches and Orthodox Churches in the Open-Air Museum in Sanok

Each village in the open-air museum has its own temple: in the Boyko sector, there is a charming small Orthodox church of St. Onuphrius (the first object brought to the museum!) and a slightly larger Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

In the Lemko sector, you will be amazed by the colorful wooden Orthodox church from Ropki near Gorlice.

In the Pogórzanie village, we will visit the beautifully maintained wooden church of St. Nicholas, whose history dates back to the second half of the 18th century.

Oil Sector: Mini Open-Air Museum of Oil Mining

The Galician open-air museum also includes a section that tells the story of oil extraction: the black gold of this region.

Visiting the Open-Air Museum in Sanok with Children

A visit to the Museum of Folk Architecture is an adventure for the whole family. It is worth presenting this place to the youngest as a chance to travel back in time. You can suggest a game of choosing a village or house where they would like to live or searching for "traces" of the youngest residents of the villages.

Children will also surely enjoy the animal farms.

Open-Air Museum in Sanok - Practical Information

• The open-air museum area is very large, so it's worth reserving at least 2 hours for a visit.
• You can visit the open-air museum individually, but the interiors of the cottages are only opened by a guide. Without a guide, you can only enter the temples and look into the cottages through the windows.
• The paths are dirt roads. Visiting with a stroller is possible, although it will be easier and more comfortable with a stroller with large wheels.
• There are food points in the Galician Market area. There is a restaurant with lunch dishes at the entrance, but outside the museum area.
• If you want to have a picnic in the open-air museum, there are a few benches available (not many). It's worth bringing a picnic blanket.
• You can visit the open-air museum with a dog on a leash.
• There are toilets in the open-air museum.

PS. What Else Is Worth Seeing in Sanok?

Besides the Museum of Folk Architecture in Sanok, it is worth visiting the city center: see the richest collection of icons in Poland and the exhibition of Zdzisław Beksiński's paintings at the Historical Museum in the castle. On the city promenade, 3rd May Street, you will find the bench of the good soldier Švejk.

PS. When you are in Sanok, we also recommend visiting the picturesque ruins of the monastery in Zagórz nearby.

Ruins of the Monastery in Zagórz - Visiting, Viewing Tower, Legends

The Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Zagórz, or rather its monumental ruins, is one of the biggest attractions in the Podkarpacie region. Picturesque place, amazing legends and stories about the fortified monastery of the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and a viewing tower. ...

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Author: Marfusza
Publish Date: 2023-09-27