The Silesian Cieszyn Museum is one of the oldest public museums in Central Europe and the oldest public museum in Poland — a remarkable cultural gem tucked into the heart of Cieszyn's old town. Housed in the grand Larisch Palace, it offers visitors both a fascinating journey through regional history and a stunning architectural experience.
The baroque-classicist palace impresses from the very first glance: an 18th-century wooden gate, a stone portal crowned with a triangular pediment, and a mansard roof with dormers. Inside, highlights include the Egyptian Hall with its painted landscapes evoking ancient Egyptian architecture, the Chinese Cabinet decorated with dragons and birds of paradise, and a former circular stable that has been transformed into a charming café. The permanent exhibition 'At the Crossroads of History and Cultures' spans over 1,000 m² and takes you from prehistory all the way through to the end of World War II, with collections covering archaeology, ethnography, photography, cartography, and history of the Cieszyn Silesia region.
How to get thereThe museum was founded in 1802 by priest Leopold Jan Szersznik — his personal collection, which included a Dutch celestial globe from 1602, formed the very heart of what you can see here today.