Zalipie, Painted Village - Guided Tour

Overview

Zalipie - a small village 120 km east of Kraków. It is not a museum or an open-air museum (normally people live and work here) but this place attracts tourists. All thanks to painted colorful huts, fences, barns and even... doghouses. The tradition of beautifying farmyards dates back to the old days, when the interiors of rather poor cottages in the village were covered with soot from the home stove. Painting the walls was considered a whim, so the resourceful Zalipie women came up with the idea of decorating the darkened walls with white irregular spots using lime and birch twigs that replaced the brush. As the "packing" of walls gained popularity, more and more elaborate and bright motifs began to be painted. And so, over time, colorful decorations became a local tradition and a hallmark of Zalipie. Today, ornaments can be found here in the least expected places, which makes the paintings look very natural and are made "from the heart". Go to Zalipie in search of color!