Museum sights in Poland
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A
Ethnographic Museum
The museum’s top floor provides a good introduction into the country’s rural heart, with a small but fine assembly of Polish folk art and crafts, but it’s the portrait shots of indigenous people from around the world that steal the show.
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B
National Museum
The National Museum is a treasure-trove of fine art on three floors, with extensive permanent collections and a stunning skylit atrium. It’s a lot to take in, but the café on the 1st floor is good for alleviating museum fatigue.
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Subcarpathian Museum
Installed in the 15th-century former Bishops’ Palace, the museum has interesting historical, archaeological and art sections. The highlight, however, is its extensive collection of decorative old kerosene lamps, reputedly the largest in Europe.
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C
National Museum
Containing almost 800,000 items in its permanent galleries, the National Museum is the largest museum in the country. It’s housed in a massive building, which is wheelchair accessible, at the western end of Al Jerozolimskie.
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D
Ul Szeroka
From the Galicia Museum in Kazimierz, walk north along ul Dajwór to ul Szeroka, traditionally the centre of the Jewish quarter. Short and wide, it looks more like an elongated square than a street and is often packed with tourists and coaches.
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E
Opole Silesian Museum
Two blocks east of the Rynek, a former Jesuit college (1698) houses the Opole Silesian Museum. The permanent display features the prehistory and history of the surrounding area and city, and there are always temporary exhibitions.
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F
Nysa Museum
Exhibits range from archaeological finds to photos documenting war damage, plus a model of the town in its heyday. The museum also features European paintings from the 15th to the 19th centuries, mostly from the Flemish and Dutch schools.
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Archaeological Museum
The castle now houses the Archaeological Museum. The archaeological exhibition is in two rooms, but you will also get to see the chapel and temporary exhibitions in other rooms, and wander through most of the castle.
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G
Polish Army Museum
The Polish Army Museum, which presents the history of the Polish army from the creation of the Polish state until WWII. Heavy armour, tanks and fighter planes from WWII are displayed in the park adjoining the museum.
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H
Poster Museum
Its vaults house a massive 55,000 posters – one of the largest collections in the world – but only a fraction of this is shown at one time. Exhibitions change regularly, making it a museum to visit time and time again.
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I
Museum of Goldsmithery
The tiny Museum of Goldsmithery seems overpriced for its size, but some of the gold and silverwork collection is captivating. Jewellery lovers will be particularly enraptured with the unique modern designs upstairs.
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J
Castle Museum
The fortress now operates as the Castle Museum and access is strictly controlled. Most of the rooms and chambers are open to visitors, housing dozens of exhibitions on various historical and archaeological topics.
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K
Archaeological Museum
The extensive collection stresses the Polish cultural and ethnic roots of the region; if you haven’t had your fill of views elsewhere, you can also go to the top of the building’s tower.
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L
Dar Pomorza
The beautiful three-masted frigate Dar Pomorza was built in Hamburg in 1909 and used as a training ship for German sailors. Check out the information in English on the dockside before you step aboard.
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White Granary
The 18th-century White Granary is to the west of the Rynek on Mill Island (Wyspa Młyńska). Displays here outline the region’s history, and illustrate traditional arts and crafts.
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Jacek Malczewski Museum
Jacek Malczewski Museum, named for the Radom-born painter. It contains a large collection of the namesake’s work, as well as art by other painters and a small archaeological collection.
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M
Archaeological Museum
Alongside the Military Museum, the squat brick Arsenal (just outside the ring road encircling the Old Town) also houses the Archaeological Museum, showcasing the history of the region, up to the present.
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Hospital of the Holy Ghost
The 15th-century Hospital of the Holy Ghost, formerly St Anne’s Chapel, contains exhibitions of religious art and medical history. It’s a short walk east of the cathedral.
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N
Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum
Marie Curie was born in 1867 along ul Freta, and her former home now houses the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum, which chronicles the life and work of this distinguished scientist.
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O
Archdiocesan Museum
The chaotic layout of artworks in hidden nooks and crannies, combined with the lack of English explanations, means that you can discover ancient artefacts in the haphazard manner of Indiana Jones.
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P
Museum of Applied Arts
The collection includes furniture, gold and silverware, glass, ceramics, weapons, clocks, watches and sundials from Europe and the Far East. Exhibits date from the 13th century to the present.
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Q
Naval Museum
South of the pier, on Bulwar Nadmorski, is the Naval Museum. It has a display of guns, fighter planes, helicopters and rockets, mostly of interest to militaria aficionados.
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R
Toy Museum
The delightfully presented Toy Museum offers the chance to reminisce about toys you forgot you wanted. The room full of frogs somehow makes sense when you’re there.
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Regional Museum
Worth a look is the tiny Regional Museum, in an old inn 300m southwest of the V-shaped Rynek. It displays artefacts and old household implements collected from the area.
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Museum
The museum presents some architectural remains (including a Romanesque portal with a tympanum depicting the scene of the Teaching of Christ) and archaeological finds.
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