The climate of small towns - 4 local museums in Cittaslow towns

In the era of hustle and bustle, a movement spreading ideas different from those imposed by the modern world was born. Cittaslow is an international network of small towns, whose main goals are to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants, cultural development and promotion of local products.

In these “unhurried” cities of Warmia and Masuria we can find unique museums worth visiting.

Zdjęcie z lotu ptaka przedstawia budynek z licznymi zdobieniami i wieżą wyłaniającą się z się z dachu, dookoła którego jest park, parkingi, a z każdej strony za ulicami kamienice w różnych kolorach.

Panorama of the Town Hall in Działdowo

Działdowo

The interactive exhibition of the State of the Teutonic Order, located in the Town Hall building and part of the Borderland Museum (Muzeum Pogranicza) in Działdowo, gives the opportunity to literally touch history and become a participant in past events. Multimedia touchscreens and projections in 3D and augmented reality are an alternative way to experience history.

We can learn the history of the Teutonic Knights from expeditions to the Holy Land to today, watch the miniature castles, animated battle scenes and everyday life of the inhabitants of the villages and cities of the time. In this museum, children will certainly not complain about boredom. The attic has been adapted for an entertainment center.

There are comics on touchscreens, interactive photos from the Middle Ages and a treasure hunt post. The Interactive Teutonic State Museum in Działdowo was among the winners of the 7 New Wonders of Poland competition organised by “National Geographic”.

Budynek Ratusza w Olsztynku od frontu na tle fontanny i rynku miejskiego

Town Hall in Olsztynek

Olsztynek

The Multimedia Museum of Stalag IB POW Camp and the History of Olsztynek, located in the attic of the Town Hall, is an obligatory entry on the “to do” list, followed by tasting the famous delicious Olsztynek bilberry buns. The museum consists of two rooms – in one of them we will see an exhibition telling the history of the town and presenting tourist attractions of Olsztynek and its surroundings.

The second room is devoted to the Stalag IB POW camp Hohenstein, the second largest camp in East Prussia. Recollections, how the stay in the POW camp looked like, and moving history of the prisoners, are revealed through multimedia presentations.

Lidzbark

The Volunteer Fire Brigade in Lidzbark has a long history, it has been operating since 3 May 1889, and since 1972 the Warmia and Masuria Fire Museum in Lidzbark also operates there. There are at least a few reasons why it is worthwhile to look here.

There is a lot of fire extinguishing equipment used by generations of firefighters from Lidzbark, a large collection of fire engines, including an old wooden fire hose, a rich collection of fire helmets, uniforms, banners, badges and fire extinguishers. In front of the museum building there is a gas lamp from 1903, which was then used to light the streets.
Fans of firefighting will surely be delighted with this place.

Warmia and Mazury Museum of Firefighting in Lidzbark

Barczewo

The Feliks Nowowiejski Music Salon is a place which commemorates an important inhabitant of Barczewo, an outstanding composer – Feliks Nowowiejski. In the artist’s family home, you can undoubtedly feel the atmosphere of the era, you can see here preserved souvenirs of Nowowiejski, and even the piano on which he played.

The Music Salon, apart from making the museum collections available, organises concerts, workshops and cultural events. Since 2002, the Feliks Nowowiejski International Festival of Choral Music has been held in Barczewo, attracting choirs from various countries to this small town in the Warmia region, which enchant the audience with the performance of two pieces by Feliks Nowowiejski – “Rota” and “A Hymn to Masuria”.