The Kielce Countryside Museum in Tokarnia

Few kilometers from the Checiny Castle lies the Ethographic Park in Tokarnia village which is a part of the Kielce countryside museum.

It was created in 70’s of XX century and based on an idea of a professor Roman Reinfuss, an ethnographer who conducted research in our region after the II world war. The open-air museum is divided into 6 sectors, where over 60 objects are gathered and grouped thematically depend on which part of the former Kielce voivodship they were originally placed.

Inside we can see astonishing gems of wooden architecture, recreated interiors of houses and buildings telling stories of old occupations and trades of people who used to live in countryside. There are exhibitions where one can learn about local customs, culture and purpose of tools not commonly used nowadays.

During warmer months almost every weekend is rich with not only folk-themed events and concerts. Beautiful landscapes and old architecture attract movie makers who often film here scenes set in old times.

There is an opportunity to taste some local cuisine, for example sour-potato soup called zalewajka. We can choose more private and quite small inn next to a place where tickets are sold. There is also a bigger building, situated next to a parking, called Kuźnia Smaków which translates into “Forge of Tastes”. It’s a place for a nice meal for a bigger group of visitors.

Smaller groups can also book a room in an original octuple built for farm’s workers. But if you expect to move back in time and feel like a simple peasant working for a noble man’s on the farm you won’t really get that experience. Rooms there have showers, comfortable beds and TV sets. It’s more like living in a palace!

Stroll through the old town and rural farmsteads

After buying tickets we enter an old little town and start with visits in houses of a doctor and a pharmacist. The main object here, however, is a charming church from XVIIIth century made from larch wood with original interiors. It was moved here from Rogów village placed near Vistula river, The Church is still used for sacral purposes.

In this part of the open-air museum we can also see houses of a photographer, shoemaker, take a glimpse into an old shop or go into one of the oldest building in Tokarnia, the 1705 year cottage with thatched roof, originally set in Szydłów town.

Next we move to the highland sector. Near a small forge from Radoska village we can unveil some secrets of smith’s work. An exhibition of works of Jan Bernatowicz, a local artist that carved in wood, pottery workshop and many farmsteads with living stocks often moving freely between buildings bring to one’s mind a verse of a famous XVIth century polish poet Jan Kochanowski. He described countryside as a calm and happy place.

There are also two types of windmills, where tour guides usually underline the importance of a miller in every village with all dangers and hardships of his trade.

Upper class

The third sector is dedicated to main beneficiaries of villagers’ work, which were… noble landowners. We see here a big barn made into a coachhouse, with many different kinds of coaches, carriages or simple carts. The two big garners are situated in this sector as well. One from Złota Pińczowska village is particularly interesting with its monumental form and a beautiful roof. Inside we can admire many exhibitions. Last year there were ones dedicated to marriage customs, inn’s chambers and kitchen and… an old police post with a real arrest and bars.

But the main attraction here is a wooden XIXth century manor, that also was used as a post house. It was moved to Tokarnia from Suchedniów town. Interiors with original furnitures and decorations from that time let us feel the atmosphere of a noble’ life. There is a living room with a grand piano, a study with an inkpot on a desk and cold weapons hanging on walls, a remainder that owner’s ancestors were knights.

In a dining room we see portraits of family members and beautiful cupboard placed next to a table. We can take a glimpse into a bedroom, a room where an old cousin lady lived, children’s room, kitchen and chambers for servants. We cannot forget about taking a picture at an entrance with porch and wooden columns characteristic for polish mansions built at that time.

Other sectors in Tokarnia

If we have more time on our side it is worth to see the Holycross sector with recreated rural school, beekeeper’s cottage and… a tunnel used by partisans who wanted to escape a manhunt. It reminds us about dark times of II World War and the help given to Polish Undeground State by peasant farmers.

In the loess sector the most interesting object is a treadmill well that was moved to the museum from Góry Pińczowskie village. Since it was a hard rock there that made drilling single wells for each farmstead very expensive, the whole village funded one well that served everyone. Two horses put a treadmill in a motion and a drew water from 70 metres depth.

Last part of the Kielce Countryside Museum is, by far, the smallest Vistula sector. One can visit two watermills here and a house of another person who, apart from a miller took advantage of river’s richness. It was a fisherman of course.

From the Manor–Farm sector or the Holycross one we can take a walk through forest to the west and see a canoe dock on the Black Nida river, that slowly flows through the Tokarnia and joins waters with the White Nida few kilometers south of here. From that place the river is named simply the Nida without any adjectives.

During the pandemic interiors of buildings are unavailable for visitors.

Gallery – The Kielce Countryside Museum in Tokarnia

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