Lanckorona Ecomuseum (Amber Trail Greenways)

The local government in Lanckorona initiated the ecomuseum as a way of engaging local residents in revitalizing this economically-depressed village and surrounding areas to bring back its historic tourism tradition. The main attractions of the ecomuseum are its unusual wooden architecture, country house heritage buildings, wooden and brick churches, numerous roadside shrines and crosses, as well as many flora and fauna habitats characteristic of mountain regions, including protected plant and animal species.

Attractions are accessible along an ecomuseum trail, which includes 18 stations or sites. Efforts are under way to develop infrastructure and additional attractions for tourists, such as a horse-and-cart trails and cross-country ski trails. Work continues on renovating the Castle Mountain in Lanckorona with its castle ruins. For those interested, there are workshops on tissue-paper art, ceramics, embroidery, glass painting, candle-making and cutting paper shapes. An interesting initiative was the reconstruction of a traditional Lanckorona woman's dress and the restitution of a quality local product - the traditional alcoholic drink, the Izdebski Jarzebiak. The ecomuseum works with two pensions, which operated in the pre-World War 2 period - Tadeusz and Zamek - where visitors can find out many interesting things about Lanckorona during a time when it was a popular summer resort for middle class and artists from Krakow.

The ecomuseum project is a central part of Lanckorona's development strategy and is used as a basis for attracting funding for key investments, such as renovation of the pavement in Lanckorona Square. An active partner for the local government is the Ecological-Cultural Association 'On the Amber Trail', which has taken over the coordination of the ecomuseum and is developing its offer for tourists through a social economy company called Horyzonty ITD.

Every year, two important events are held: The Midsummer Night Fair in June and the Angels Festival in December. During the first Angels Festival in 2004, Poland's first Museum of Angels was opened and a tradition of awarding the title of honorary citizens of Lanckorona to the most dedicated friends and promoters of the village's beauty.

The ecomuseum is based on the activities of a small group of enthusiasts, focused around the Ecological-Cultural Association 'On the Amber Trail' and the local government. The remaining residents are passive and are following closely the initiatives of this most active group.

A temporary information/documentation centre has been organized in the village museum, located on the main square. A map showing the ecomuseum sites greets the visitor in the village square. A series of leaflets and a Polish-English guide to Lanckorona Ecomuseum have also been published. A guide to Lanckorona published by Bezdroze in its Towns and Villages series, includes a chapter devoted to the ecomuseum. Information about the ecomuseum can be obtained from an information centre of the Ecological-Cultural Association 'On the Amber Trail' (tel: 033-876-3401) or on www.lanckorona.pl

Menu What are Greenways GWs Criteria GWs Methodology GWs network in CEE GWs History Heritage and Ecomuseums Contact us Production	Lanckorona Ecomuseum (Amber Trail Greenways) The local government in Lanckorona initiated the ecomuseum as a way of engaging local residents in revitalizing this economically-depressed village and surrounding areas to bring back its historic tourism tradition. The main attractions of the ecomuseum are its unusual wooden architecture, country house heritage buildings, wooden and brick churches, numerous roadside shrines and crosses, as well as many flora and fauna habitats characteristic of mountain regions, including protected plant and animal species. Attractions are accessible along an ecomuseum trail, which includes 18 stations or sites. Efforts are under way to develop infrastructure and additional attractions for tourists, such as a horse-and-cart trails and cross-country ski trails. Work continues on renovating the Castle Mountain in Lanckorona with its castle ruins. For those interested, there are workshops on tissue-paper art, ceramics, embroidery, glass painting, candle-making and cutting paper shapes. An interesting initiative was the reconstruction of a traditional Lanckorona woman's dress and the restitution of a quality local product - the traditional alcoholic drink, the Izdebski Jarzebiak. The ecomuseum works with two pensions, which operated in the pre-World War 2 period - Tadeusz and Zamek - where visitors can find out many interesting things about Lanckorona during a time when it was a popular summer resort for middle class and artists from Krakow. The ecomuseum project is a central part of Lanckorona's development strategy and is used as a basis for attracting funding for key investments, such as renovation of the pavement in Lanckorona Square. An active partner for the local government is the Ecological-Cultural Association 'On the Amber Trail', which has taken over the coordination of the ecomuseum and is developing its offer for tourists through a social economy company called Horyzonty ITD. Every year, two important events are held: The Midsummer Night Fair in June and the Angels Festival in December. During the first Angels Festival in 2004, Poland's first Museum of Angels was opened and a tradition of awarding the title of honorary citizens of Lanckorona to the most dedicated friends and promoters of the village's beauty. The ecomuseum is based on the activities of a small group of enthusiasts, focused around the Ecological-Cultural Association 'On the Amber Trail' and the local government. The remaining residents are passive and are following closely the initiatives of this most active group. A temporary information/documentation centre has been organized in the village museum, located on the main square. A map showing the ecomuseum sites greets the visitor in the village square. A series of leaflets and a Polish-English guide to Lanckorona Ecomuseum have also been published. A guide to Lanckorona published by Bezdroze in its Towns and Villages series, includes a chapter devoted to the ecomuseum. Information about the ecomuseum can be obtained from an information centre of the Ecological-Cultural Association 'On the Amber Trail' (tel: 033-876-3401) or on www.lanckorona.pl	Network of GWs in Belarus
Photos, text: Dominika Zareba, Valeria Klitsounova, Elena Vetrova, Tsimur Kroll \| Drawings: Iwona Siwek-Front
Project "Greenways for Belarus", implemented by the Polish Environmental Partnership Foundation and the "Agro and Ecotourism" Association, is financed thanks to the support from the Program of Polish Aid of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland in 2006.