A Playful Pageant

'Cracow Enchanted With Toys'
Ethnographic Museum, ul. Krakowska 46
December 7th 2007 - June 15th 2008

Cracow has plenty of tricks up its sleeve for children, and a full interactive guide is in the pipeline. But for the meantime, we thought we'd tip parents off about a beguiling little exhibition that's running down in the Kazimierz district. It's being held in the smaller branch of the Ethnographic Museum. And if you're heading down in that direction with some little monsters in tow, don't miss the chance to drop in. Both branches can be found on the southern stretch of ul. Krakowska, and entrance is free on Sundays (open 10am-2pm).

'Cracow Enchanted With Toys' casts its net into the lost world of prewar Cracow. It hauls up an exotic catch, with a carnival of colourful toys on parade. Cracow used to be famed as a centre of toy-making, and time-honoured festivals such as Rekawka and Emmaus provided platforms for artisans to sell their goods. The wooden toys may not have been super sophisticated works of art, but they had charm in spades, typically drawing from local legends such as Lajkonik. Visitors will encounter proud nobleman, 'Krakowiaks' in their folk costume, mythical characters and, most popular in those days, bands of local Jewish musicians. Belying their often naive appearance, many of these toys were able to perform tricks, and in one room a video reveals how each contraption worked.

Upstairs, children can draw and colour in some of the fantastical characters that they've seen in the show. And if you're feeling inspired, we heartily recommend a look inside the main branch of the museum, which has some magical recreations of folk cottages to explore.


The Ethnographic Museum,
ul Krakowska 46
Open: Mon - 10am-6pm, Wed-Fri 10am-3pm, Sat-Sun 10-2pm, CLOSED TUESDAYS
Tickets: 6.50zl/4zl (Free on Sundays)