Zakopane Style Museum – Villa Koliba, A branch of the Tatra Museum
 
Villa Koliba, the first house built in the Zakopane Style according to the design of Stanisław Witkiewicz, is located on Kościeliska Street, the oldest street in Zakopane, lined with historic Highland cottages and traditional farmsteads. Its surroundings help visitors better understand the ideas behind Witkiewicz’s vision of a Polish national architectural style.
 The Zakopane Style Museum is the only place in Poland where visitors can explore the history and achievements of the first fully developed and implemented concept of a Polish national style, based on the architecture and decorative traditions of the Podhale Highlanders.
 Villa Koliba marks the beginning of the relatively brief, yet highly influential, twenty-year history of the Zakopane Style. After designing Koliba, Witkiewicz went on to create several wooden villas and guesthouses in Zakopane, including the celebrated House “Pod Jedlami.” He also designed furniture, everyday household items, and elements of the interior of the Holy Family Church. He was the author of the design for the Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Jaszczurówka, and his final architectural plans, drawn in 1913, were used in the construction of the brick main building of the Tatra Museum.
 
Ticket Prices
 Permanent and Temporary Exhibitions
- Regular ticket: 22 PLN
- Reduced ticket: 11 PLN
 
Permanent Exhibition
- Regular ticket: 20 PLN
- Reduced ticket: 10 PLN
 
Temporary Exhibition
- Regular ticket: 5 PLN
- Reduced ticket: 2 PLN
 
Large Family Card
- Admission to exhibitions available at the branch: 9 PLN per person
 
Group Admission
- Minimum 15 persons
- Access to all exhibitions available at the branch
- 1 free supervisor for every 15 participants
- Ticket price: 10 PLN per person
 
Additional Services
- Audio Guide: 5 PLN
- Guided Tour: 40 PLN
 
✅ Free admission to permanent exhibitions every Thursday.
 
📷 Photos: Michał Zieliński / Tatra Museum

A branch of the Tatra Museum*
 Designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz himself, Villa Oksza is one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Zakopane.
 
 History of Villa Oksza
The history of Oksza is closely connected with the development of the Zakopane Style. The villa is the third work of Stanisław Witkiewicz, the creator of this unique architectural style.
The design was created between 1894 and 1895 for Bronisława and Wincenty Korwin-Kossakowski, as confirmed by correspondence between Witkiewicz and the patrons. The building was constructed by Highland craftsmen under the supervision of Wojciech Roj and Jan Obrochta between 1895 and 1896.
 
Construction began in the spring of 1895 and was completed in June 1896. The furniture was commissioned by Wincenty Kossakowski and crafted by Kazimierz Sieczka
 
Opening Hours
 
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday, Saturday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
 
Last admission: 30 minutes before closing.
 
Ticket Prices
 
Temporary Exhibition
 
- Regular ticket: 24 PLN
- Reduced ticket:12 PLN
 
Large Family Card
 
- Admission to exhibitions available at the branch: 8 PLN per person
 
 Combined One-Day Ticket
*(valid for all open branches of the Tatra Museum)*
 
- Regular ticket: 49 PLN
- Reduced ticket: 24 PLN
 
Combined Weekly Ticket
*(valid for all open branches of the Tatra Museum)*
 
- Regular ticket: 65 PLN
- Reduced ticket: 32 PLN
 
Group Admission
 
- Minimum 15 persons
- Access to all exhibitions available at the branch
- 1 free supervisor for every 15 participants
- Ticket price: 9 PLN per person
 
Additional Services
 - Audio Guide: 5 PLN
- Guided Tour: 40 PLN
 
📷 Photo: Tatra Museum Archives
 
Please note: Free admission days are currently not available at Villa Oksza. At present, only a temporary exhibition is on display, while the permanent exhibition remains unavailable.

Located along Kościeliska Street, the oldest street in Zakopane, this complex brings together some of the most remarkable 19th-century Highland cottages. It was here, at the confluence of the Młyniska and Cicha Woda streams, that Zakopane was born.
 Many of the preserved houses are recognized as historic monuments, and several dozen traditional Highland cottages, mostly dating from the second half of the 19th century, are listed in the heritage register. The section of Kościeliska Street between the Old Church and Skibówki resembles a living open-air museum and is protected as a historic architectural ensemble.
 The wooden church, built in the mid-19th century, gave this part of the street the character of the village center.
 
📷 Photos: www.drewniana.malopolska.pl

Built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Sabała’s Cottage is an example of the oldest type of traditional Podhale two-room dwelling, known as the Silesian-Spisz layout, consisting of an entrance hall, a black room, and a white room.

According to local tradition, it is the birthplace of the legendary Highland storyteller and musician Jan Krzeptowski-Sabała. Between 1979 and 1984, the cottage housed an ethnographic exhibition of the Tatra Museum.
Today, the building remains in private ownership.

Photos: www.drewniana.malopolska.pl

The Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Jaszczurówka (Jaszczurówka 38, Zakopane) is a true gem of the Zakopane Style, designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz at the beginning of the 20th century.
 Located near the entrance to the Olczyska Valley, the chapel is open to visitors free of charge. Holy Mass is celebrated on Sundays, and the chapel is open for sightseeing during the day.
 
🌐 https://www.jaszczurowka.org/
 📷 Photos: www.drewniana.malopolska.pl

At the beginning of the 20th century, Zakopane was one of the most fashionable destinations in Poland, attracting not only tourists and health resort visitors, but also politicians, social activists, artists, writers, scientists, and physicians. Jan Kasprowicz visited Zakopane many times and, after purchasing a villa in Harenda in 1923, settled there permanently with his wife Maria Kasprowicz (née Bunin). The villa was often visited by his daughters from his earlier marriage to Jadwiga Gąsowska, Janina and Anna.
Jan Kasprowicz is best known as a poet of the Young Poland movement, author of works such as *The Wild Rose Bush* and *The Book of the Poor*. He was also a translator of European literature, playwright, theater critic, respected professor at the University of Lviv, and a lively participant in Zakopane’s artistic and intellectual life. He frequently met with friends such as Stefan Żeromski, Leopold Staff, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), and many others.
 The Kasprowicz Villa in Harenda, which has housed a museum since 1950, is located halfway between Zakopane and Poronin. Visitors enter through a veranda, often decorated in summer with Kasprowicz’s favorite nasturtiums, offering magnificent views of the Tatra Mountains.
 The house was originally built in 1920 by Jan Fudala Kluś as a guesthouse. Shortly afterward, it was sold to the English painter Winifrid Cooper, from whom Kasprowicz later purchased it. The villa follows the layout of a traditional Highland cottage, featuring a central entrance hall (now the dining room), a “black room” on the left (living room), and a “white room” on the right (bedroom). Additional rooms include a study, library, kitchen, and attic.
Visitors can explore the dining room, living room, bedroom, and the Gallery of Paintings by Władysław Jarocki, Kasprowicz’s son-in-law. The museum displays original furniture, paintings, books, photographs, and personal belongings of the poet and his family. The interiors have been preserved exactly as they were left by Maria Kasprowicz, who died in 1968.
 Particularly noteworthy are the pastel portraits created by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy). One depicts Jan Kasprowicz shortly before his death, while another portrays Maria Kasprowicz in 1937. The collection also includes two sculptural representations of the poet: a death mask made by the Highland artist Stanisław Gąsienica Sobczak-Jochym and a sculpted head created by Antoni Popiel in the 19th century.
 The dining room features furniture designed by Władysław Jarocki and crafted in Lviv. The walls are decorated with traditional Highland glass paintings collected by Kasprowicz, as well as portraits of his wife. The museum is managed by the Association of Friends of Jan Kasprowicz’s Works.
 Next to the villa stands a granite mausoleum, built at the initiative of Maria Kasprowicz. The poet was initially buried in the Old Cemetery, but when the mausoleum, designed by Karol Stryjeński, was completed in 1933, his remains were transferred there. Maria Kasprowicz is buried in the chapel above.
 
Near the museum stands a historic wooden church closely connected to the history of the villa. Maria Kasprowicz donated the land for the church. Thanks to the efforts of Professor Władysław Jarocki and local parish priest Jan Tobolak, the abandoned church from Zakrzów, near Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, was relocated to Zakopane and consecrated in 1950.
 
The church’s polychrome ceiling painting depicting the Coronation of the Virgin Mary and the nave decoration featuring Saint Anne with the Virgin Mary and Child were restored and reconstructed by Władysław Jarocki.
 
 Tickets
Museum, Mausoleum, and Gallery
(Guided tour included in the ticket price)
 
- Regular ticket: 20 PLN
- Reduced ticket: 15 PLN
 
Opening Hours
 
 Jan Kasprowicz Museum
- Tuesday – Saturday: 9:15 AM – 3:15 PM
 
Władysław Jarocki Painting Gallery
- Tuesday – Saturday: **9:15 AM – 3:15 PM**
 
Contact
 
📍 Harenda 12A, 34-500 Zakopane
📞 +48 18 206 84 26
📱 +48 517 159 658
📧 sptjk@interia.pl
 
🌐 www.harenda.com.pl

Villa Harenda was built in 1920 by Jan Kluś Fudala as a guesthouse. In 1923, it was purchased by the distinguished Polish poet Jan Kasprowicz, who made it his permanent residence. The villa represents the so-called Second Zakopane Style, which developed during the interwar period. Since 1950, it has housed a museum dedicated to the life and work of the poet. The collection includes manuscripts, photographs, books, furniture, and pastel portraits created by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy).
 Nearby stands a granite mausoleum, built between 1927 and 1933, containing the remains of Jan Kasprowicz and his wife. It was designed by Karol Stryjeński on the initiative of Maria Kasprowicz.
 
📷 Photo: www.drewniana.malopolska.pl

Built in 1897 and designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz, the House “Pod Jedlami” is widely regarded as the finest example of the Zakopane Style of architecture.
In Polish culture, the House “Pod Jedlami” is not only an architectural masterpiece but also a place of great historical and intellectual significance. For many years, it served as a gathering place for artists, writers, and intellectuals, influencing cultural life throughout the region and beyond.
The name “Pod Jedlami” (“Under the Fir Trees”) comes from the fir trees that once grew in the garden surrounding the house.

📷Photo: https://www.dompodjedlami.pl/ / Marcin Klag

Karol Szymanowski Museum at Villa “Atma”, A branch of the National Museum in Kraków
 Villa Atma in Zakopane is home to the world's only biographical museum dedicated to Karol Szymanowski (1882–1937). Considered the greatest Polish composer after Frédéric Chopin, Szymanowski spent much of his life in Zakopane and settled here permanently in his later years, living in a villa on Kasprusie Street.
 
The idea of creating a museum dedicated to Szymanowski at Atma was first proposed in 1937 by composer Michał Kondracki. After World War II, efforts continued under the leadership of Szymanowski’s niece, Krystyna Dąbrowska. In 1967, music critic Zdzisław Sierpiński renewed public interest in the project, and soon afterward the renowned writer and music critic Jerzy Waldorff established a civic committee dedicated to purchasing and restoring the villa.
 
In 1974, the building was transferred to the National Museum in Kraków, and on March 6, 1976, it opened to the public. The ground floor exhibition presents the life and work of the composer, his connections with the Tatra Mountains and Zakopane, and includes many personal belongings donated by Krystyna Dąbrowska.
 Villa Atma was built after 1890 as a typical guesthouse, one of many erected in Zakopane at the turn of the 20th century for summer visitors. The name “Atma”, given by its original owner Józef Kaspruś-Stoch, comes from Sanskrit and means “soul.” The building is an excellent example of the Zakopane Style, introduced by Stanisław Witkiewicz.
 The museum exhibition presents key aspects of Szymanowski’s life and artistic achievements, highlighting his fascination with Podhale folklore and Zakopane. Visitors can see personal memorabilia and a reconstruction of the composer’s study.
 Between 2011 and 2013, the museum underwent a comprehensive renovation. Thanks to European Union funding and support from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the building received modern installations, accessibility improvements for visitors with disabilities, and enhanced conservation of its historic fabric.
 
The renovated interiors now include multimedia displays presenting the composer's biography, the history of Villa Atma, and the cultural atmosphere of the era in which Karol Szymanowski lived and worked.
 
Opening Hours
 Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
 
Last admission is 20 minutes before closing time.
The ticket office, museum shop, and cloakroom remain open until the museum closes.
 
Contact
 
📍 Kasprusie 19, 34-500 Zakopane
📞 +48 18 202 00 40
📧 atma@mnk.pl
🌐 www.mnk.pl/oddzial/muzeum-karola-szymanowskiego

Witkiewiczówka Villa (Antałówka 6, Zakopane) is a historic villa built in the Zakopane Style between 1903 and 1904, based on a design by Jan Witkiewicz-Koszczyc.
 
The villa is best known as the home and studio of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (“Witkacy”) from 1931 to 1939, where he operated his famous “Portrait Painting Company” (*Firma Portretowa*).
📷 Photo: www.drewniana.malopolska.pl

Zakopane Style Museum in Zakopane - The building was erected by Joachim Gąsienica Sobczak in 1830 and was significantly expanded in the second half of the 19th century with the addition of a storage room, living room, hallway, and porch.
 
Built on a rectangular plan and partially basemented, the house is covered with a traditional half-gabled shingle roof. Small windows in the gables provide light to the attic space. The front porch is supported by four wooden pillars.
The roof gables are decorated with the traditional “herringbone” motif, while the porch gable features the characteristic “little sun” ornament. Carved decorative finials known as “pazdury” adorn both the main roof ridge and the porch.
 Since 2009, the building has housed a branch of the Tatra Museum, featuring the permanent exhibition “Zakopane Style – Inspirations.”
 The white room displays the collection of Maria and Bronisław Dembowski, while the black room presents the interior of a typical Highland cottage from the second half of the 19th century.
 
📷 Photos: www.drewniana.malopolska.pl