Sieradz: Discover Monasteries, Churches and Museums

• The Rynek is at the heart of the surviving medieval town plan.
• The Dominican monastery dates back to the first half of the 13th century.
• The Gothic All Saints’ Church has held the status of a minor basilica since 19 March 2018.
• The District Museum features permanent exhibitions on the history and culture of Sieradz and its surroundings.
• Sieradzki Park Etnograficzny features, among other things, a historic weaver’s house, a sculpture collection and agricultural equipment.
• The yellow-marked “Sieradzka Eska” trail is 109 kilometres long and passes through Sieradz.

The Rynek is not merely a square but the heart of the medieval town plan, which has survived to this day. Since 2015, a sculpture depicting Antoine Cierplikowski in a barber’s chair has stood there. It adds a different note from the older buildings and broadens the view of the town with a work of public art.

The Dominican monastery is one of the oldest historic buildings in Sieradz. Its origins date back to the first half of the 13th century. The present building includes elements of an earlier Gothic structure, including cloisters. Different details of the churches tell the story of their architectural history: the Gothic All Saints’ Church has held the status of a minor basilica since 19 March 2018. The church dedicated to Saint Stanislaus was built around the middle of the 13th century and has one of the few Early Gothic portals in Poland.

The permanent exhibitions at the District Museum in Sieradz are devoted to the history, culture, art and everyday life of Sieradz and its surroundings. Topics range from prehistory and medieval Sieradz to portraits of the nobility and applied arts. Exhibition titles include “Życie ludzi w pradziejach”, “Sieradz w średniowieczu”, “Portret szlachecki i rzemiosło artystyczne”, “Apteka staromiejska w Sieradzu”, “Regionaliści sieradzcy XIX–XX w.” and “Kultura wsi sieradzkiej z początku XX wieku”.

Sieradzki Park Etnograficzny brings rural architecture and crafts to life through tangible exhibits. Dom Tkacza, a weaver’s house built in the early 19th century, was moved here from Zgierz. Inside, you can see historic weaving equipment and the furnishings of a home. Another perspective on crafts and art can be found at the homestead of folk sculptor Szczepan Mucha, from the village of Szałe. It dates from the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. The house, workshop and garden contain a collection of his sculptures, created between 1972 and 1983.

Agricultural work is also part of the exhibition: a pavilion displays historic tools and machinery, including ploughs, harrows, threshing machines, winnowing machines and sieves. The park also runs craft workshops and museum lessons, and offers demonstrations of traditional techniques. The topics therefore range from architecture and domestic life to weaving, sculpture and agriculture.

Wzgórze Zamkowe has park paths, pedestrian and cycle bridges, and excavated bunkers dating from the German occupation. These features offer a different focus from the collections: paths, bridges and historic structures shape the site, while the museums centre on objects and buildings.

Another way to include Sieradz in a longer route plan is the yellow-marked “Sieradzka Eska” trail. It is 109 kilometres long and passes through the city.

Discover more destinations: Błaszki, Ligota, Gmina Złoczew, Szczawno, Warta, Bronisławów.

What can you see in Dom Tkacza?

The weaver’s house, moved here from Zgierz, dates from the early 19th century. Inside, you can see historic weaving equipment and the furnishings of a home.

What topics do the District Museum’s permanent exhibitions cover?

They range from prehistory and medieval Sieradz to applied arts and regional figures, as well as rural culture and everyday life in Sieradz and its surroundings.

How long is the “Sieradzka Eska” trail?

The yellow-marked trail is 109 kilometres long and passes through Sieradz.

Back to the main travel overview: Sieradz.