Museums (even in Poland) do not have to be associated only with pompous martyrology and royal lineages. It’s finally starting to show that even most common things like buttons, frogs or bread are worthy of exhibition. Here’s the Polish top ten:
10. Museum of Untypical Bicycles: Horizontal, circus , utility (e.g. special model for milkmen) bicycles, rickshaws, and other unusual bicycles can be seen (and tried) in Golab near Pulawy. You can also learn about history of bicycles or learn how to ride a bike over weekend.
9. The Frog Museum: In Kudowa Zdroj, in Frog Museum, you can find all things connected with frogs – from specimens preserved in formaldehyde, through road signs and kitchenware to jewellery and plushies. All in all, about 3000 exhibits from 20 countries and 6 continents.
8. The Museum of Buttons: Quite unusual collection of buttons can be found in the small museum in Lowicz. It includes the personal buttons from well-known Poles like Stanislaw Witkacy, Marek Edelman, col. Wladyslaw Sikorski, cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, Jerzy Hoffman or Borys Szyc.
7. Bread Museum: In Bread Museum in Radzionkow you will find not only bread-related postcards, appliances & devices, but also XVI & XVII century documents dedicated to bread-making and so-called bread-money that allowed you – during the time of crisis and hyperinflation – to buy only bread. As a bonus, you will be able to form and bake the bread by yourselves.
6. The Phillumeny Museum: The Phillumeny Museum can be visited in Bystrzyca Klodzka. Founded in 1964 by initiative of workers of matchstick factory nearby, contains about 500 000 exhibits. Collection includes flints, lighters (chemical, gasoline, electrical and others), labels and matchsticks packages not only from Poland, but Europe and rest of the world as well.
5. The Musem of Axes: In Orzechowka you may find a small museum dedicated mostly to axes but also to hatchets and maces, varying in both age and use.
4. Private Museum of Polish Devil: Private collection of over 1800 exhibits can be found in Warsaw. It includes sculptures, drawings, prints, paintings, posters, books and recordings, all with one theme – devil in Poland.
3. The Bedtime Show Collection: Starting from private collection, in 2006 turning into “official” Bedtime Show Museum in Rzeszow, it includes about 2500 exhibits connected to polish bedtime shows from 50’s through 80’s.
2. Cheap Wine Museum: Although “wine” is a bit much, the museum of these economically priced alcoholic drinks (made mostly of apples and sulfur) can be found in Szklarska Poreba. There you can see (still) full bottles as well as labels and posters. And remember – cheap wine is good ‘cause it’s good and cheap!
1. Museum of Warning Signs: Admittedly, funniest if you have a knowledge of Polish language, it contains warning, information and propaganda signs from socialism times, mostly covering health and safety in workplaces.