Skansen Maurzyce

Skansen Maurzyce, properly known as Łowicki Park Etnograficzny [Łowicz Ethnographic Park], is a branch of the Museum in Łowicz. On a site covering 17.67 hectares stand 42 wooden buildings with thatched roofs, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, which showcase the traditional architecture and village life of the Łowicz region. The skansen is located in the village of Maurzyce in the Zduny municipality, approximately 7 kilometres from Łowicz in the direction of Warsaw and Poznań.

How the skansen came about

The idea for building the skansen emerged at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. The location in Maurzyce was chosen in 1971, near the then main road linking Warsaw and Poznań, today's A2 route. A development plan for the 17.67 hectare site was drawn up in the second half of the 1970s, and the skansen opened to visitors in the mid-1980s.

Where the buildings come from

Since the late 1970s, the museum has been collecting historic architectural objects in Maurzyce from the territory of the former Duchy of Łowicz. All buildings are wooden and thatched, and their arrangement recreates two historic spatial layouts of a Łowicz village: the older one, the owalnica [oval arrangement] with a common square in the centre, typical of the mid-19th century, and the younger one, the ulicówka [street layout], common in the second half of the 20th century.

Heritage status and affiliation

In 1996, the skansen, together with individual buildings, was entered in the heritage register. Since 1998, Łowicki Park Etnograficzny has been a member of the Association of Polish Skansens, which brings together similar institutions across the country.

Events at the skansen

The skansen organises annual themed events related to village traditions of the region, including "May Day at the Skansen" and a harvest festival called "Łowicz Harvest".

Practicalities

• Address: Maurzyce, 99-440 Zduny (village in Zduny municipality, Łowicz district)
• Access: approximately 7 km from Łowicz in the direction of Warsaw and Poznań
• Contact: Museum in Łowicz, Stary Rynek 5/7, tel. +48 46 837 39 28 ext. 36 (education department)
• Hours: 1 May to 30 September 10:00–18:00; 1 November to 10 April Saturdays and Sundays 10:00–15:30 (outdoor area), weekdays 10:00–15:00 for organised groups only – it is worth checking the hours before visiting
• What to expect: 42 historic wooden buildings, exhibitions of village interiors and occasional themed events