Intense blue cottages with white patterns, thatched roofs, Lowicz cut-outs, animal pens, flower meadows, home gardens – such an idyllic picture can be seen in Maurzyce, a village near Lowicz, where the most famous open-air museum in Lowicz province is located.
Between Lodz and Warsaw, north of Lowicz, is the small village of Maurzyce. It is famous for the open-air museum located here – the Lowicz Ethnographic Park, which is part of the Lowicz Museum, and is most often referred to simply as the Skansen in Maurzyce. The site is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region, and it is surprising that we have only now gathered material and prepared this post for you.
What is unique about this open-air museum? It shows the Łowicz countryside, with not only buildings, but also culture and art, because in the interiors of individual cottages you will see the well-known Łowicz cut-outs, and if you are lucky, you will be able to take part in special workshops or buy local handicrafts. Despite the popularity of the facility, the atmosphere here is quiet and idyllic: the museum area is quite large, so visitors quickly disperse in different directions, and we are left to enjoy the rural atmosphere.
The open-air museum was established in the 1980s. In the 1970s, when objects from nearby villages were collected here, and some were reconstructed. Most of the buildings date from the 19th and 20th centuries, which we can learn about by reading the various information plaques hanging on the buildings.
We also recommend our video“Skansen in Maurzyce” on our YouTube channel:
Table of contents
Visiting the Open Air Museum in Maurzyce
It is worth spending a minimum of 2 hours to visit the Open Air Museum in Maurzyce. This is the optimal time to walk the marked paths and look at the various facilities, and there are about 40 of them here. However, it is in vain to look for a single direction of the tour – everyone moves independently between the objects, viewing them in any order.
During a leisurely stroll, you can see country cottages, a wooden church with a bell tower and parsonage, a windmill, blacksmith shop, barns, barns, chapels, etc. Here you will find everything that should be found in a respectable open-air museum ;) It is possible to enter many of the buildings, to look inside, but some of the rooms are not open to the public, so it remains to view the interiors through windows or barred entrances.
There is no shortage of course in the Łowicz open-air museum…. Łowicz cut-outs! These can be seen as decorations in some chambers or as the result of the work of folk artists. In one of the huts you can buy such small works directly from the lady who makes them, or you can take part in workshops organized here (you can also come across workshops on embroidery or pottery).
What we particularly appreciate in such open-air museums is the mapping of the layout of the entire village, which we can also observe here (as in the Radom Village Open-Air Museum, for example). Two layouts are mapped in Maurzyce: the old village and the new village.
When is the best time to come to Maurzyce? Any season except winter will be good. In winter (from November to the end of March) there is nothing to come because the facility is most simply closed ;)
Personally, we like such places best in early summer.
Open-air museum with children
In Maurzyce we were with our children and traveled by bike trailer (no bikes!). We drove everywhere without a problem, however, we did not even try to drive it to the huts (it is narrow, there are high thresholds). It only served us to transport the children between different parts of the open-air museum, because at the objects the toddlers joyfully jumped out of the trailer and entered the courtyards and huts on their own.
There are no dedicated attractions or children’s area on site (even a playground is missing), but in such places it turns out that children don’t need them at all. There are agricultural equipment, interestingly arranged chambers, beautiful flower meadows…. But the greatest joy was at the old fire engines ;)
As for family-friendly facilities for families with children, there are none here. The toilet is an ordinary Toi toi, changing tables or a place for a caregiver with a child can be forgotten.
What to see in the area?
There are several very interesting places to see in the area, which can easily be combined with the open-air museum in Maurzyce so as to see them in one day or on a leisurely weekend.
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If you are interested in castles and palaces then we have 3 suggestions:
Palace in Nieborow
– One of the most beautiful palaces in the province. Highly recommended for both a garden walk and an interior tour.- Walewska Palace – a palace, stud farm and surrounding park. Currently a hotel, but can be visited by appointment
Sobotka Castle
– Park and castle, although the castle is neglected and not open to the public.
If you prefer parks and nature then be sure to take a look:
Park in Arkadia
– A beautiful, romantic garden with an aqueduct, sculptures and buildings.
In addition, the museum deserves special attention:
- The Brzozowski Folk Museum in Sromow, where you can admire mock-ups full of wooden sculptures and other handmade masterpieces.
Opening Hours of the Open Air Museum in Maurzyce
As we mentioned earlier, the open-air museum is not open year-round. The gates close at the end of October and open on the 1st. April.
From 1. May through the end of September, the facility is open from 10 am to 6 pm and until 5 pm in the other months. Importantly, it is possible to enter later (until 7 pm) but then the buildings are closed and the so called “security” applies. walking ticket.
How much does a ticket cost?
There is a fee to enter the site, tickets can only be purchased at the box office and unfortunately at the moment you cannot buy tickets online :(
Prices for the current season are as follows:
- Normal ticket – 15 zł
- Discounted ticket – 10 PLN
- Children under 3 enter for free
- Walking ticket – 5 PLN
Getting to the Open Air Museum in Maurzyce
The open-air museum in Maurzyce is located between Lodz and Warsaw, on the outskirts of Skierniewice and Lowicz, about 10 kilometers from Lowicz in the direction of Kutno (take national road 92). There is free car parking right at the museum’s entrance.
Maurzyce can be reached by ŁKA train (station: Niedźwiada Łowicka), it will take about 40 minutes to reach the Open Air Museum.
Address:
Open-air museum in Maurzyce
Maurzyce
99-440 Zduny
Where to eat in the area?
There are no restaurants or bars in the area, for a meal you can drive to Lowicz.
Among the most interesting suggestions are:
- Returns Restaurant, Stary Rynek 24, 99-400 Łowicz
- Poddaszu Restaurant and Cafe, Zduńska 42/10, 99-400 Łowicz
- Pizzeria Puntuale, Nowy Rynek 24, 99-400 Łowicz
- Polonia Restaurant, Stary Rynek 4, 99-400 Łowicz
Where to stay overnight in the area?
There are no accommodations in the village of Maurzyce. In the area, the closest you can stay overnight is in Lowicz, below are two suggestions:
- Eco Hotel
Address: ul. Podrzeczna 22, 99-400 Łowicz
Prices: from 220 PLN for a double room (breakfast included)
Link:
http://r4b.link/hotel-eco
- Apartments Lowicz
Address: 7 Browarna, 99-400 Łowicz
Prices: from 160 PLN for a double room
Link:
http://r4b.link/apartamenty-lowicz
Our opinion about the Open Air Museum in Maurzyce
The open-air museum in Maurzyce is undoubtedly a unique place on the map of Lodz Voivodeship and worth a visit. Here you can see historical objects from the lands of Łowicz and Skierniewice, get a sense of what life was like in the countryside, and even try your hand at handicraft workshops.
The only thing missing is catering facilities and slightly better facilities for families with children. For example, the following can serve as a model. Radom Village Museum ;-)