WHAT IS WORTH SEEING IN SKARŻYSK-KAMENNA?
Muzeum im. Orła Białego
The White Eagle’s Museum is located at Słoneczna 90 in Skarżysko-Kamienna. It is one of the most important cultural institutions and tourist attractions in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The museum has one of the largest collections of military items in Poland, gathered in the open air on an area of over 1.5 ha. There you can see unique exhibits, thematically divided into parts: air, armored, sea, barrel artillery and rocket artillery. Among the museum exibits there are, self-propelled gun Sturmgeschütz IV, chassis of the German PzKpfw V Panther tank, transport plane Ił-14, torpedo boat ORP “Odważny”.
Visitors can also learn about the history of Skarżysko-Kamienna, thanks to the exhibition “Skarżysko-Kamienna. City and People “, which presents the changes taking place throughout history, from the earliest times to the political transformation at the end of the 20th century.
An important element of the collection are also exhibits and documents related to the activities of partisan units in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains during the German occupation and those from the so-called Polish People’s Republic.
The museum also organizes temporary exhibitions and invites to participate in numerous events (eg Historical Picnic, Night of Museums, seminars, educational meetings, workshops).
It is also worth mentioning the historic seat of the Museum, i.e. the 19th-century building, which is the administrative base of Steel Mill (Huta) “Rejów”, associated with the Old Polish Industrial District.
Remains of a great blast furnace
The beginnings of smelting iron in today’s city date back to the Middle Ages, but the greatest boom in this area took place at the beginning of the 19th century, when, on the initiative of Fr. Stanisław Staszic, the Old Polish Basin was established. Built in the eighteenth century, the blast furnace plant with a system of locks and culverts constituted the complex of Steel Mill “Rejów”, the remains of which can be seen today near The White Eagle’s Museum.
Please visit www.muzeum.skarzysko.pl
Rejow Reservoir
The town has a water reservoir on the Kamionka River with an area of approximately 30 ha, which serves as a tourist and retention facility. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century. It was destroyed during World War I, but rebuilt in 1925 and remained in this condition until 1939, when it was destroyed again. After World War II, rebuilt once again by the Armaments Factory in order to meet the water needs of the later MESKO Metal Works located in Skarżysko-Kamienna.
There is a recreational center on the western side of the Rejów Reservoir. At the lagoon, there is also a municipal bathing beach with infrastructure in the summer.
The reservoir is located at Wioślarska Street in the Rejów area.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gate of Dawn
In Skarżysko-Kamienna there is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, which is a faithful copy of the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius. In the Sanctuary in Skarżysko there is the only replica of the image of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn in the country – the patron saint of the city.
Please visit www.ostrobramska.pl
Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from 1923
While in Skarżysko-Kamienna, it is also worth visiting the Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus, built in 1923. It is the oldest temple in the city. The church is located at Niepodległości Street. The building was designed in the neo-Gothic style. The church was built of stone and brick. There are stained glass windows and a bellows organ from 1929 in the presbytery.
The wooden church of st. Joseph from 1928
In Skarżysko-Kamienna, at Legionów Street in the West District, there is st. Joseph’s wooden church dated back to 1928. A frequent visitor to this parish was the poet Leopold Staff, who was friends with the parish priest at the time. The poet liked to stay in a magnificent garden next to a wooden church, he also often walked by the nearby Kamienna River. There he found inspiration for many of his works. Leopold Staff was associated with Skarżysko until the end. He died in the guest room of the Skarżysko presbytery on May 31, 1957. In the place where he liked to sit there is a bench, and from the street there is a monument with a bust of the poet.
A treat for railway enthusiasts
Skarżysko-Kamienna has a rich railway tradition. In the city, you can admire the magnificent building of the railway station (now being renovated), which was built in 1885. It was destroyed during World War I, and rebuilt in its original form shortly after the war. In the square near the railway station, railway enthusiasts will find a renovated, historic Pt47 steam locomotive, which is the symbol of the city of railway workers. It is one of the exhibits of the White Eagle’s Museum.
