--- title: "Wallachian Open Air Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm" description: "Little Wooden Town, Wallachian Village and Water Mill Valley in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. Founded in 1925, with more than 100 heritage buildings." url: "https://zpusteven.cz/en/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode" lang: "en" latitude: 49.4614 longitude: 18.1508 --- ![Aerial view of the Wallachian Village - log cottages scattered across a slope, with the Beskid hills behind](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valasska-dedina/1280/DJI_0131.avif) Open-air museum • Rožnov pod Radhoštěm • since 1925 # Valašské muzeum v přírodě Rescued Rožnov log houses became the oldest open-air museum in central Europe. - **Founded:** 1925 (oldest in central Europe) - **Entry:** paid (combined ticket) - **Sites in Rožnov:** Little Wooden Town, Wallachian Village, Water Mill Valley - **Heritage buildings:** 100+ ## Wallachia in the open air Valašské muzeum v přírodě - the Wallachian Open Air Museum - is the largest open-air museum in Czechia and the oldest in central Europe. Since 1925 it has been showing, in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, how people in Moravian Wallachia lived and farmed and what crafts they practised. Today it has three sites: a town square on the flat, a village on a hillside and a valley of water-driven machinery. In the middle of the town square lies [Valašský Slavín](https://zpusteven.cz/en/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valassky-slavin) - the burial ground of people who made the region's name. ![Aerial view of the Wallachian Village - log cottages on a grassy slope surrounded by forest](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valasska-dedina/1280/DJI_0138.avif) The Wallachian Village Why come here ### Three faces of Wallachia in one place The museum is made up of three different but connected sites: a square, a village on a slope and a technical valley. The machinery really turns and craftspeople work at it. When to come ### For an event, or deliberately outside one In season the museum puts on craft and folklore programmes. For quiet and crowd-free photographs, come on a weekday right after opening. What not to miss ### Valašský Slavín and the Church of Saint Anne In the Little Wooden Town stands a wooden church with blue painted decoration, ringed by [Valašský Slavín](https://zpusteven.cz/en/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valassky-slavin) - the burial ground of well-known and respected figures tied to Wallachia. ### What you will find in the museum ![The Little Wooden Town from above - the Church of Saint Anne with its tower and a log house by a paved lane](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/kostel-sv-anny/1280/DJI_0120.avif) #### Little Wooden Town A square of rescued houses. The oldest site, open since 1925. ![Aerial view of the Wallachian Village - cottages among meadows, the Jurkovič lookout tower on the hill to the left](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valasska-dedina/1280/DJI_0136.avif) #### Wallachian Village A village on the slope of the paseka Stráň. The museum's largest site. ![A water wheel turning - water falling onto its paddles from a wooden millrace](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/mlynska-dolina/1280/IMG_9413.avif) #### Water Mill Valley A mill, a sawmill and a forge, all water-driven. [Libušín a Maměnka](https://zpusteven.cz/en/pustevny) - 20 km · vstup zdarma · The mountain lodges and bell tower in the saddle below Radhošť, owned by the museum since 1995. ### Nearby [Villa Jaroněk](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jaronkova-vila) - poblíž · The house and workshop of the Jaroněks, the museum's founders, ten minutes' walk away. [The Jurkovič lookout tower](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jurkovicova-rozhledna) - poblíž · A lookout tower above the museum, which you can also reach on foot straight from the Wallachian Village. > „The Wallachian museum carries on the legacy of its founders, who wanted it to be a living museum." > > - Národní muzeum v přírodě, on the history and founding of the museum The museum is still built around displays indoors and out and on demonstrations of crafts, farming, customs and folklore. The houses make the setting; what happens in them is the content. - **the first Valašský rok festival:** 1925 - **sites in Rožnov:** 3 - **heritage buildings:** 100+ ![The windmill from Kladníky in the Wallachian Village, with an old millstone in front of it](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valasska-dedina/1280/IMG_9381_vetrnymlyn_kladnik.avif)[The museum's events calendar ](https://www.nmvp.cz/roznov/program/akce) ## The story of Valašské muzeum v přírodě A festival became a museum, the museum became a piece of the region The museum's sites took almost sixty years to build up, and each shows a different face of Wallachia. since 1925 • the oldest part ### Little Wooden Town ![The front of the Church of Saint Anne with its wooden bell tower, and a crucifix in front of it](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/kostel-sv-anny/1280/IMG_9347.avif) ![Inside the Church of Saint Anne - a blue-painted coffered ceiling and columns, the altar behind](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/kostel-sv-anny/1280/IMG_9303.avif) How the Little Wooden Town, and the whole museum, began ### Demolish them, or move them? The brothers [Alois and Bohumír Jaroněk](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jaronkova-vila) put forward a plan to move several log buildings into the [town park](https://zpusteven.cz/en/roznovsky-park) even before the First World War. They only got it through while Rožnov was preparing an ethnographic festival for 1925. **Two log houses from the square in Rožnov** were moved onto a clearing in the spa park at the time, and several smaller buildings with them. They were a backdrop for the great folk festival **Valašský rok**. Once it was over, the houses stayed. That gave the museum its start as the **Little Wooden Town (Dřevěné městečko)** - and with it Valašské muzeum v přírodě, the first museum of its kind in the country and, until the 1970s, the only one. A whole small town grew out of that handful of buildings. Around the paved lanes today stand a town hall, a burgher's house, inns, a barn and the fojtství from Velké Karlovice. Together they show housing and life in a small Wallachian town from the mid-19th century to the first quarter of the 20th. ![The Little Wooden Town from above - the Church of Saint Anne with its tower and a log house by a paved lane](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/kostel-sv-anny/1280/DJI_0120.avif) - **Tour:** about 50 minutes - **Terrain:** flat, paved lanes [Aktuální info na webu muzea ](https://www.nmvp.cz/roznov/informace-pro-navstevniky/prohlidkove-okruhy/drevene-mestecko) [Valašský Slavín and the Church of Saint Anne](https://zpusteven.cz/en/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valassky-slavin) - Do not miss it in the Little Wooden Town · In the middle of the Little Wooden Town stands the Church of Saint Anne with its blue painted decoration, built between 1939 and 1941 as a free copy of the church from Větřkovice near Příbor. Around it lies a cemetery of honour: since 1969 figures tied to Wallachia have rested here - writers, scientists and sportspeople. · The story of Slavín and the Church of Saint Anne since the 1960s • the largest site ### Wallachian Village ![The windmill from Kladníky with its sails spread, a fence and broadleaved trees around it](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valasska-dedina/1280/IMG_9384_vetrnymlyn_kladnik.avif) ![The log-built Protestant Toleration church with a shingle roof, an arcade above the entrance and a bench in front](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valasska-dedina/1280/IMG_9372_evangelisticky_tolerancni_kostel.avif) ![Cottages of the Wallachian Village with small fields, haycocks and pasture between them](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valasska-dedina/1280/DJI_0137.avif) A view of the farmstead from Nový Hrozenkov, of the windmill from Kladníky and of the Protestant Toleration church. Why it was added ### The Little Wooden Town did not say enough about Wallachia The founders themselves knew that the town part of the museum said too little about life in Wallachia. Wallachia was above all a region of scattered farmsteads in hilly country. In the early 1950s the museum chose a sloping Rožnov paseka called Stráň, a short way from the Little Wooden Town, for a new village site. The first log cottages and farm buildings went up on it ten years later. The village therefore stands in the terrain that suits it. The **Wallachian Village (Valašská dědina)** is now the museum's largest site. Its scattered, irregular layout recalls the real villages spread along the slopes of the Beskids as they still looked at the start of the 20th century. Above the site, on Karlův kopec, stands the [Jurkovič lookout tower](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jurkovicova-rozhledna). ![Aerial view of the Wallachian Village - cottages among meadows, the Jurkovič lookout tower on the hill to the left](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valasska-dedina/1280/DJI_0136.avif) - **Terrain:** on a slope, expect climbing - **Programmes:** spring cattle drive, autumn and Christmas [The Jurkovič lookout tower above the site ](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jurkovicova-rozhledna) · [Aktuální info na webu muzea ](https://www.nmvp.cz/roznov/informace-pro-navstevniky/prohlidkove-okruhy/valasska-dedina) since 1983 • the technical site ### Water Mill Valley ![A stone building with a wooden millrace, a water wheel turning beneath its frame](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/mlynska-dolina/1280/IMG_9427.avif) ![The yard of the Water Mill Valley - log buildings, old millstones and wooden wagons](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/mlynska-dolina/1280/IMG_9398.avif) ![A white masonry building with a shingle roof and a wooden extension beside the valley lane](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/mlynska-dolina/1280/IMG_9420.avif) Machinery that still runs ### A valley on water power The third, technical site grew step by step: technical buildings had been moving into the valley since the 1970s, and in 1983 the **Water Mill Valley (Mlýnská dolina)** opened to visitors. Its machinery still runs today, driven by water from the millrace. Most of the buildings are copies and reconstructions: the fulling mill, the mill and the sawmill come from Velké Karlovice, and the trip-hammer forge is a reconstruction of one from Ostravice. The oil mill from Brumov, by contrast, is an 18th-century original and the only building that manages without water power. The tour begins in the cart shed from Ostravice, among old wagons and farm machinery. In 2008 and 2009 the site gained further buildings - a dwelling house from Trojanovice, a smithy from Horní Lideč and a barn from Velké Karlovice. ![A water wheel turning - water falling onto its paddles from a wooden millrace](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/mlynska-dolina/1280/IMG_9413.avif) - **Tour:** about 60 minutes, guided only - **Extension:** 2008–2009 house, smithy and barn [Aktuální info na webu muzea ](https://www.nmvp.cz/roznov/informace-pro-navstevniky/prohlidkove-okruhy/mlynska-dolina) ![Libušín and Maměnka from above - the carved gables, turrets and shingle roofs of the two lodges side by side](https://d.zpusteven.cz/place/pustevny/1280/DJI_0880.avif) ### The fourth site stands on the ridge Since 1995 the museum has looked after three buildings at Pustevny: the mountain lodges [Maměnka](https://zpusteven.cz/en/mamenka) and [Libušín](https://zpusteven.cz/en/libusin) and a bell tower nearby. They stand in the saddle below Radhošť, 20 kilometres from Rožnov, and are a national cultural monument; the rest of the saddle does not belong to the museum. [Go to the Pustevny page ](https://zpusteven.cz/en/pustevny) Timeline ## From a shelved plan to three sites A hundred years in which a backdrop for a folk festival became the largest open-air museum in Czechia. 1. ### Beginnings up to 1925 1. before 1914 #### The Jaroněks' shelved plan The Jaroněk brothers put forward a plan to move several log buildings into the town park. Nothing comes of it. 2. 1925 #### Valašský rok and the Little Wooden Town **Two log houses from the square in Rožnov** are moved onto a clearing in the spa park. After the festival they stay standing, and Valašské muzeum v přírodě is founded. 2. ### Church and Slavín 1939–1969 1. 1939–1941 #### The Church of Saint Anne A free copy of the single-nave church from Větřkovice near Příbor goes up in the Little Wooden Town. 2. 1960s #### A collection of gravestones by the church The ground around the church serves as a display of historic gravestones and cast-iron crosses; the stone slabs of **fojts and Wallachian portáši** draw the eye. 3. 1969 #### Valašský Slavín is created The display becomes a place of remembrance for figures who did much for Moravian Wallachia. 3. ### Three sites 1950s–1983 1. 1950s #### The plan for a village site The museum decides to add a village to the town - Wallachia was above all a region of slopes and pasekas. 2. 1960s #### Building on Stráň The first cottages and farm buildings of the **Wallachian Village** go up on the Rožnov paseka Stráň. 3. 1970s #### Buildings in the valley Technical buildings appear one by one by the old millrace - a fulling mill, a mill, a sawmill, an oil mill and a trip-hammer forge. 4. 1983 #### The Water Mill Valley opens The technical site opens to the public; its machinery is driven by water and the tour is guided only. 4. ### The fourth site and today 1995–today 1. 1995 #### Pustevny as the fourth site The museum takes over Maměnka, Libušín and the bell tower at Pustevny - Jurkovič's buildings are a national cultural monument. [Go to the Pustevny page ](https://zpusteven.cz/en/pustevny) 2. 2008–2009 #### The Water Mill Valley grows A dwelling house from Trojanovice, a smithy from Horní Lideč and a barn from Velké Karlovice are added. 3. today #### More than a hundred buildings Three sites in Rožnov with over a hundred heritage buildings - originals moved from their original sites alongside copies and reconstructions. Visit ## Before you set out ### Where exactly it is #### On the edge of the centre, right by the town park The Little Wooden Town stands on flat ground at the edge of central Rožnov, a short way from the [town park](https://zpusteven.cz/en/roznovsky-park); the museum's address is Palackého 147. The Wallachian Village stands on the slope of the paseka Stráň, the Water Mill Valley down in the valley. ##### Otevřít v mapách [Mapy.com](https://mapy.com/en/zakladni?x=18.1508&y=49.4614&z=17&source=coor&id=18.1508,49.4614) · [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=49.4614,18.1508) A reference point in the middle of the sites. ##### Nearby [Valašský Slavín and the Church of Saint Anne](https://zpusteven.cz/en/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode/valassky-slavin) · [Villa Jaroněk](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jaronkova-vila) · [Rožnov park with its bandstand](https://zpusteven.cz/en/roznovsky-park) · [Rožnovská Bečva](https://zpusteven.cz/en/roznovska-becva) · [The Jurkovič lookout tower](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jurkovicova-rozhledna) · [The Church of All Saints](https://zpusteven.cz/all-saints-church-roznov) · [The chimneys on the Tesla site](https://zpusteven.cz/en/kominy-tesla) · [Rysová](https://zpusteven.cz/en/rysova) Map of the area ### What to know before you go #### Admission Each site has its own ticket, and a combined ticket covers all three. Current prices and opening times are on the [museum's website](https://www.nmvp.cz/roznov/informace-pro-navstevniky/oteviraci-doba-a-vstupne). A dog on a lead and muzzled can go only outside among the buildings, on a ticket of its own. #### How long it takes The Little Wooden Town alone takes about 50 minutes. For all three sites allow half a day - the Wallachian Village is large and goes uphill. #### Getting here The museum lies right in the town, and transport and parking are covered by the [Rožnov pod Radhoštěm page](https://zpusteven.cz/en/roznov-pod-radhostem). Above the Wallachian Village stands the [Jurkovič lookout tower](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jurkovicova-rozhledna), which you can take in on the same trip. #### Accessibility The Little Wooden Town is laid out on the flat along paved lanes with benches; the site and the ground floors of selected buildings are accessible by wheelchair. The Wallachian Village is hilly. #### Refreshments and toilets There are an inn and toilets in the **Little Wooden Town** and in the **Wallachian Village**. The Little Wooden Town also has a café and seasonal stalls. Na závěr ## Doplňující info a test znalostí ### Rychlá rekapitulace **How many sites does Valašské muzeum v přírodě have?** Three in Rožnov: the Little Wooden Town (since 1925), the Wallachian Village (since the 1960s) and the Water Mill Valley (since 1983). The fourth site is Pustevny, 20 kilometres away - there the museum owns the Maměnka and Libušín lodges and a bell tower, not the whole saddle. **Do you have to pay to get in?** Yes, each of the three Rožnov sites has its own ticket; there is also a combined ticket for all three at once. Current prices and opening times are on the museum's website. **What is Valašský Slavín, and can I see it on a tour?** It is the burial ground around the Church of Saint Anne in the middle of the Little Wooden Town, where figures of Wallachia have been laid to rest since 1969. It lies directly on the site's tour route and has no separate admission. The full story and who lies there are on the Valašský Slavín page. **How much time should I allow for a visit?** The Little Wooden Town alone takes about 50 minutes to walk through. For all three sites allow half a day - the Wallachian Village is large and goes uphill. **Is the museum wheelchair accessible?** The Little Wooden Town is laid out on the flat along paved lanes with benches, and the site and the ground floors of selected buildings are wheelchair accessible. The Wallachian Village is hilly. Where next ## Connections around the museum Discover other places and themes linked to Valašské muzeum v přírodě. [Villa Jaroněk](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jaronkova-vila) - The founders' house · The Jaroněk siblings lived and worked here. Ten minutes' walk away. · Přejít na stránku → [The Jurkovič lookout tower](https://zpusteven.cz/en/jurkovicova-rozhledna) - The viewpoint above the Wallachian Village · A wooden lookout tower on Karlův kopec to Jurkovič's designs - a short climb up from the village. · Přejít na stránku → [Graves of the portáši](https://zpusteven.cz/en/portasske-hroby) - Graves of the Wallachian portáši · Two gravestones by the church in Valašská Bystřice - the last trace of the corps that guarded the region for almost two hundred years. · Přejít na stránku → [Pustevny](https://zpusteven.cz/en/pustevny) - The museum's fourth site · Maměnka, Libušín and the bell tower on the ridge below Radhošť have belonged to the museum since 1995. · Přejít na stránku → --- Source: [Wallachian Open Air Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm](https://zpusteven.cz/en/valasske-muzeum-v-prirode) - zPusteven.cz. When citing, please link to the page.