Hnojový Dům

Gnojowy Dom (Hnojový dům, or "Dung House") stands in the hamlet of Jizerka, part of the Kořenov municipality in the Czech Jizera Mountains — a place whose story sounds almost too odd to be true.

Why the unusual name?

The wooden cottage was originally built at the turn of the 18th century as an ordinary mountain hut. After agricultural collectivization in the mid-20th century, it was turned into a cattle shed used for manure storage — hence the name that stuck for good. In 1964, the traveler and adventurer Gustav Ginzel bought the run-down building for a symbolic 345 Czechoslovak crowns and cleared it out in a rather unconventional way: he redirected two mountain streams through the interior, washing away years of accumulated manure. What emerged from that cleanup was no longer a shed at all.

What will you find inside?

Over his lifetime, Ginzel traveled to roughly 70 countries, bringing back objects and stories that few of his neighbors had ever encountered. The Dung House became his private cabinet of curiosities, open to anyone who made the trip to Jizerka. Visitors could browse his collection, hear firsthand accounts of his travels, and watch slideshows from the far corners of the world he had explored. It's precisely that contrast — a rough mountain hut packed with evidence of distant journeys — that made the place memorable.

Fire and rebuilding

On August 24, 1995, while Ginzel was away in Australia, the Dung House burned to the ground, taking his entire lifetime collection of curiosities with it. Locals and volunteers refused to let the story end there: they rebuilt an exact replica of the original cottage, and Ginzel began assembling a new collection from scratch. Today's Dung House isn't physically the same building that stood before the fire, but it carries on the same idea — a small, eccentric museum tucked into the mountains.

How to get there?

Jizerka sits right at the heart of the Jizera Mountains, within the Kořenov municipality, close to the Polish border. There's no direct rail access — the easiest way in is on foot or by bike along the marked trails from nearby villages such as Kořenov, Bedřichov, or Josefův Důl, or by driving in and parking at the settlement's small lot. Jizerka itself is one of the most picturesque hamlets in the region, tucked into a forested basin and lined with traditional mountain cottages.

When to visit?

Jizerka and the Dung House are best visited from spring through autumn, when the trails are dry and local refreshment spots are open. In summer it's a popular stop along hiking routes through the Jizera Mountains, while winter turns the surrounding area into cross-country ski terrain. Since the museum is a small, partly volunteer-run site rather than a year-round attraction with fixed hours, it's worth checking current opening times before setting out.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Dung House the original building? Not quite — the original burned down in 1995. What visitors see today is a faithful replica rebuilt by volunteers, housing a new collection of curiosities.

Where does the name "Dung House" come from? After agricultural collectivization, the building spent years serving as a cattle shed and manure store, before Gustav Ginzel cleaned it out and turned it into a museum.

Who was Gustav Ginzel? A Czech traveler and adventurer who bought the cottage in 1964 and spent decades filling it with souvenirs from journeys to around 70 countries.

Is it worth combining with a hike in the Jizera Mountains? Yes — Jizerka lies at the center of a well-connected network of hiking and skiing trails, so the Dung House fits naturally into a longer route through the region.