We had a short stop in Poland (on our way to Hungary) in the famous painted village, Zalipie. The houses inside and outside decorated with colorful floral patterns. It is one of the unique places to see in Poland and the most picturesque village.
How to go to Zalipie Poland
The village of Zalipie is in southeast Poland, and you can approach it by a cute little ferry (we accidentally chose that way, thanks to GPS!) or by normal road.
It is about 70 km from Krakow, so an ideal Krakow day trip destination. Take road 79 for the more adventurous route and ferry (Ulscie Jezuickie – Opatowiec), or road 94 or A4 for land access. The whole drive takes 1.5-2 hours, depending on traffic.
The history of the most picturesque village in Poland
The small Polish village in Lesser Poland, Zalipie, is one of the unique tourist attractions of the country. You will find only tiny houses and wooden buildings decorated with colorful flower patterns.
The tradition of painting the houses started not so long ago. About a century ago, few villagers started painting them inside, but after a while, this tradition spread. They began to paint flower patterns in various colors on the outside walls as well. It gives the houses and the village a unique charm.
The painting equipment was prepared from local ingredients and tools. The hairs from the tails of the cows were used for the brushes, and the paint main ingredient was fat.
As the weather wore down the paintings fast, the women needed to repaint the floral motives yearly.
Felicja Curylowa, a local artist, and the Museum
Felicja Curylowa (1904 – 1974) was the most famous local artist, who decorated every surface of her three-bedroomed cottage. After her death, her beautiful house was turned into a museum. Make sure if you are around, you stop by!
Zalipie museum. Image credit: mksfca, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Zalipie museum. Image credit: mksfca, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Interesting fact
After WW2, every spring Zalipie hosts the Painted Cottage Competition (called Malowana Chata). Its initial purpose was to cover up damages after the war.
Zalipie Church. Image credit: mksfca, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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