Żywiec

Contact: ul. Zamkowa 2 34-300 Żywiec, Tel.: (033) 861 21 24, staryzamek@muzeum-zywiec.pl , www.muzeum-zywiec.pl

This Town Museum was founded in 1925. It is an institution with more departments. There are departments of history, art and archeology where is presented a permanent display ?History and traditions of Żywiec town?. In the art and history department there are displayed holographs reglecting the town history. Among others there is an exhibition of "Dziejopis Żywiecki Andrzeja Komonieckiego" ( Żywiec Chronicle by Andrzej Komoniecki) from 1704. Wort of mentioning is also one of the biggest collections in Poland ? a collection of guild relics: guilds, books and cabinets. In the historical chambers there you can see Biedermeier lounge and a study from 19^th century (inter-war period) of Karl Stefan Habsburk, the owner of town in 1895-1933. The most precious collections of sacred art which comes from the Church of St. Cross in Żywiec such as ? a sculpture ?Święta Anna Samotrzecia? from 1380 and also temper painting ?Bewailing? from a half of the 19^th c. This exhibition shows townsmen clothes, historical furniture, the iconography of the town and also relics connected with the Żywiec Hapsburgs.

Żywiec

Contact: ul. Browarna 88, Tel.: +48 33/861 24 57, www.muzeumbrowaru.pl

This Brewery Museum in Żywiec was founded on 9^th September 2006 in cellars of Żywiec brewery at the 150^th anniversary from brewery foundation. It spreads on 1,600 square meters. Its interior reflects a process of beer production in the brewery. Visit starts from a room, where there is seen what beer is made of. Further on you can see a detailed brewery dummy. It will take you to Żywiec in 19^th c. where you can have a look at working places of architects, joiner and also an old-time way of tapping beer.

You can be frightened by a virtual dog there as well. A big attraction hit is a hall of art-deco with bowling and room showing beer production process from ancient times till the present. All it is interconnected by multi-media exhibitions (photos, video, sound, projection), which were created by Adventure agency, where every visitor can touch exhibits and take pictures of them. The museum visit ends in a maze, which is decorated by tens of pictures and where you have to find exit. After the visiting tour you can taste beer or juice in a specially made room.

Pszczyna

Contact: ul. Piastowska 26, www.tmzp.pl

This museum of Silesian Printing you will find at the end of Piastovska street in a low shingles house from about the break of 18^th and 19^th centuries. From the 18^th century Pszczyna had become one of the most important printing centers in Upper Silesia. There already in 1805 worked Karol Beniamin Feistel from Nysa, since 1843 also Chrystian Schemmel who was printing also a weekly called "Tygodnik Polski Poświęcony Włościanom". The museum exhibition represents the history of Silesian printing from its beginning until 1939. As the only one in country its museum of magazines collects also historical machines and printing devices. Inside there is a Telemann room ? a hall of music and poetry where apart from a collection of 18^th c. there are presented collections of old instruments. In Poland, it is the only museum of printing and bookbinding. It includes a historical throughout of Sileasian printing and also old printing and bookbinding machines.

Pszczyna

Contact: ul. Parkowa, Tel.: (032) 212 99 99, www.skansen.pszczyna.pl

Open-air museum is located in the Pszczyński park and spreads over two acres. There are collected the most precious relics of a wooden folklore architecture coming from surrounding villages. In interiors of individual objects there you can see authentic Pszczyna region furnishings. Next to the museum there is a wooden tavern called "Starý mlýn" (Old Mill) where you can taste regional cuisine.

Bielsko-Biała

Contact: ul. Sobieskiego 51, Tel.: 033 811 71 76, www. muzeum.bielsko.pl

The House of a Weaver in Bielsko-Biała is located on Sobieskiego street in upper suburbs of the town in a wooden building with a timbered construction. Building represents a unique example of architecture of the 18^th century that was destroyed by fire in 1808 and 1836. Until the early 20^th century there had been a house and a drapery workshop. There is not much known about the owners of the building, probably families such as: the Bartke (18^th c.) or the Bathelt (19^th c.). From 1873 there had been the owner Karl Nowak and after his death his widow Marie. At the beginning of 20^th c. there was located a shoemaker workshop of Antoniego Polończyk existing until the WW II. And after that it served as a regular block of flats. In 1974, Antoniego's son Wiktor Polończyk donated it to the state for museum purposes.

Bystra

Contact: ul. Juliana Fałata 34, Tel.: 033 817 13 61, www.julian-falat.bystra.pl

A division of a museum in Bielsko-Biała, housed in a historical villa of the artist popularly called "Fałatówką", it is a biographic and art museum. The artist had moved into the house in 1910, after leaving the office of Director of Krakow ASP (Academy of art). The exhibition takes place in eight rooms on the ground and first floors of the building. It contains paintings, oils and aquarrels, as well as documents and photographies relating to life and work of one of the biggest Polish painters. On the ground floor there are presented early oil-paintings made under the influence of Munich academy, the first aquarelles and many self-portraits, portraits of family and friends. There are also aquarelles capturing urban regions that prove the artist's traveling. There are painted Toruň, Leoben, beautiful panoramas of Krakow from 1896, and it also includes small sketches.

Bielsko-Biała

Contact: pl. Żwirki i Wigury 8, Tel.: 033 812 23 67, www.muzeum.bielsko.pl

Museum of technology and fabrics has been run since 1^st January 1979. It was founded as a division of previous regional museum in Bielsko-Biała in order to show proves of rich traditions in a local center of wool industry due to gathering machines, devices and documents concerning its production. Apart from that, museum gathers and opens to public various exhibits referring to other fields of industry and technology such as fire brigade, printing, metal working and engineering industries. Museum is located in parts of buildings from a former factory for fabric production of the Büttner family, one of the biggest fabric factories of old Bielska.

Bielsko-Biała

Contact: ul. Drobniewicza 26, Tel.: +33 812 50 86, baturo@baturo.art.pl, www.baturo.art.pl

This gallery has existed since 1992 and holds about 11 ? 12 exhibitions annually. Its managers are Inez and Andrzej Baturovy. Vernissages are held every first Friday in a month at 6 pm. Gallery also organizes meetings (free) of photography amateurs with members of the Union of Polish art photographers who provide consultancies in the field of photography science and technology.

Szczyrk

Contact: ul. Myśliwska 60, Tel.: +48/33/8178716; 608575671, www.galeria.szczyrk.pl

This is the biggest private gallery of the present art on the south of Poland. Founders of the Beskydy Gallery of Art are Barbara and Mirosław Batorowie. In the gallery, spread on 200 square meters, there are presented works of more then 130 artists. Every year they organize around 10 exhibitions of painting and also numerous concerts, meetings with authors ? musical and artistic, lectures on art and cultural and folklore events. For several years, Beskydy Gallery has been organizing painters meetings of figurative art in the name of the professor Jerzeg Dudy-Gracz ? places for those meetings are picked beautiful terrains of Szczyrk and its surroundings. Gallery is also a holder of summer events called "Prezentacje Niezwykłe" (Unusual presentations) which within there are presented interesting artists from all art fields including young artists, too. Beskydy Gallery of Art is included into the sites of the Silesian cultural track.

Bielsko- Biała

Contact: ul. 3 Maja 11, Tel.: +48 33 812 58 61, info@galeriabielska.pl., www.galeriabielska.pl

Bielska Gallery BWA, it is a town gallery supporting the most interesting phenomena of the present art ? from painting to photography, performance, installation and art of new media. It organizes exhibitions, festivals and events on open spaces. It operates publishing, educational and documentary activities and gathers art collections.