Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze

The Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie, at ul. Gulgowskich 1 in the Pomeranian region of Poland, is the oldest open-air museum in Poland, founded in 1906 by Teodora and Izydor Gulgowski. The couple collected Kashubian folk culture and set up the museum in the family's farmstead on the shore of Lake Gołuń in the Kashubian Lake District. Today it spans more than 20 hectares and holds around 50 relocated wooden buildings from across Kashubia, Kociewie and Krajna, including farmhouses, a church, a school, a windmill, a smithy and a village pub. Each structure is furnished with period objects and arranged in sectors that recreate villages of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum's collection also includes folk costumes, embroidery, glass painting, pottery and furniture, which are shown in the buildings or in thematic exhibitions. Notable buildings include the wooden church from Swornegacie, a Kashubian farmhouse, and a manor from the region. The curatorial approach is ethnographic and immersive: visitors walk through the village-like sectors, see craft demonstrations and events that include the harvest festival and Kashubian traditions. During the Second World War the museum was damaged and its collections partly lost, and it was rebuilt after 1945 with new relocations. Ongoing conservation of the timber buildings continues, and some structures are replaced or reinforced. The park is a significant centre for the study and presentation of Kashubian culture and language, and the setting by the lake adds to its character. A visit typically takes two to three hours, longer for those who join workshops.