Museum of Łowicz

Address Stary Rynek 5/7, 99-400 Łowicz, Poland
Opening Hours Tue–Sun 10:00–16:00; closed Mon
Admission PLN 15 adults, PLN 10 reduced
Website www.muzeumlowicz.pl

The regional museum of Łowicz, housed in a historic building on the old market square, holds one of the best folk art collections in Poland. The core of the collection is the folk culture of Łowicz county: traditional costumes, wycinanki (paper cutting art), painted furniture, ceramics, and examples of the elaborate floral decorations used to decorate homes and interiors.

The Łowicz region is particularly celebrated for its wycinanki — intricate paper-cut designs in bright colours, used to decorate walls and windows. The museum has an outstanding collection of historic pieces alongside examples of contemporary craftspeople still working in the tradition. Worth more than a brief look; allow an hour.

things to do museum
A story
The Łowicz folk costume — a woman's skirt of horizontal stripes in bold contrasting colours — became so iconic that it was adopted as a symbol of Polish folk culture generally, appearing in 19th and 20th century paintings, postcards, and promotional materials. The stripes are woven in wool; the most elaborate costumes have dozens of stripes and take months to complete. The museum has some of the finest surviving examples.