Discover Zakrzów: Zagroda Apolonia and its wooden houses

Zakrzów is located near Niepołomice. One of the village’s cultural landmarks is Zagroda Apolonia, a private open-air museum. Its historic wooden buildings and two different activities offer a way to understand Zakrzów’s cultural character.

Six wooden houses from different periods

Zagroda Apolonia consists of six wooden houses that have been relocated and restored. They were built between 1821 and 1933. There are 112 years between these two dates, so the houses span the period from the early 19th to the early 20th century. They therefore do not all come from the same building period. Their relocation and restoration are also part of their history: the construction dates place the houses in time, while their relocation and renovation add another layer. This brings both the age of the buildings and their arrangement as an ensemble into focus.

Woodworking centered on a wooden window

At the Pracownia Bure Wióry family workshop “Okno na zagrodę,” participants make a double-casement wooden window. The steps include measuring, sawing, sanding, nailing, and decorating. The task goes beyond decorating the surface: it involves several stages of window-making and results in a finished item. “Double-casement” describes its form: the window being made has two casements.

The windows of the houses at Zagroda Apolonia serve as inspiration. The connection to the ensemble is specific: the houses provide the motif, while participants make a window in the workshop. Historic wooden buildings and handicraft are different ways of engaging with the site, but here they are linked by this shared motif.

A gathering in May

A description published in 2025 also recounts a gathering in May. In the afternoon, local people—adults and children—met at a chapel on the grounds of Zagroda Apolonia to sing religious songs together. Here, communal singing is the focus, whereas the family workshop centers on making an object. The two cultural activities therefore differ both in form and subject. The dates of the gathering should be distinguished: May refers to the month of the afternoon described; 2025 is the year the description was published. It is not necessarily the year the gathering took place. If you are interested in attending such a gathering, check current event listings. By contrast, the years 1821 to 1933 refer directly to the construction dates of the six wooden houses.

This distinction helps put Zakrzów into context as a travel destination: the houses provide a historical setting, the workshop foregrounds handicraft, and the gathering described highlights religious community.

Discover more destinations: Przebieczany, Czyżów, Węgrzce Wielkie, Mała Wieś, Biskupice, Byszyce, Niepołomice, Łysokanie

For the broader travel overview: Wieliczka.