Museum of Zakopane Style at Villa Koliba

Koliba Villa – first home built in Zakopane style by Stanisław Witkiewicz's project. Located by Kościliska street, the oldest street of Zakopane, where antique housings and homesteads are found on every step. This surrounding makes Stanisław Witkiewicz's ideas easier to understand. Folklore-loving collector, Zygmunt Gnatowski from Jakimówka, Ukraine, decided to build a summer house in Zakopane. It was supposed to be highlander hut at first. Witkiewicz, however, managed to persuade Gnatowski to construct villa in Zakopane art style. Koliba ("shepherd's cottage") was raised in years 1892 – 93 by local builders. Its interior was also provided with furniture and equipment, with specially designed tiled stoves, corbels, curtains and even lesser smithcraft items like doorknobs and locks.

Zygmunt Gnatowski died in year 1906 in his hometown Jakimówka. He didn't had any heirs so Koliba was eventualy sold. Next owners, who were many, never valued this building's worth and didn't care for its state.

In 1984 Tatra Museum arranged protective repairs of the desolated house. In 1987 a conservation renovation ocurred with interior refreshment afterwards. One hurded years after building Koliba, in december 1993, Museum of Zakopane Style was open inside. Its interiors were arranged by Władysław Hasior.

In five rooms of Koliba's oldest part, a dining room, salon and bed on ground floor, Gnatowski's room and servant's chamber were arranged with accordance to their original functions.

Zygmunt Gnatowski's ethnographical collection returned to its place in "highlander room". Every other piece of furniture, equipment and artistic curios come from the zakopane style flourishment period at the turn of 19 ^th century. Those were designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz, Wojciech Brzega and Stanisław Barabasz.

Museum of Zakopane Style is one of a kind polish place where you can learn history and achievements of the first theoretical and practical polish national style concept, based on architecture and ornamentation of podhalan highlander culture.

Koliba opens up short, for only twenty years old story of Zakopane style.

-> Closed for renovation

Contact
Kościeliska 18 street
34-500 Zakopane
phone + 48 18 20 136 02
www.muzeumtatrzanskie.pl