Skanzen Vysoký Chlumec

Skanzen Vysoký Chlumec is an open-air folk architecture museum in the village of Vysoký Chlumec in Central Bohemia, on the route between Příbram and Sedlčany. It operates as a branch of the Mining Museum in Příbram and focuses on rural building traditions of the central Vltava (Povltaví) region.

Where is the open-air museum located?

The site sits in the northern part of Vysoký Chlumec, in the valley of the Libíňský stream, along the road leading to Ústupenice. The village lies about 35 km east of Příbram and 8 km southwest of Sedlčany, amid the rolling countryside of the central Povltaví. The wider area along the Vltava river and its tributaries is known for its castles and historic small towns, so the museum fits well into a longer day trip through this part of Bohemia.

What will you see there?

The museum was created to rescue valuable examples of rural architecture from the mid-17th to the early 20th century that were threatened with destruction at their original sites. The historic buildings come from various villages across the Central Bohemian uplands and the Povltaví region — each was dismantled where it originally stood, transported, and reassembled in the stream valley.

The Mining Museum in Příbram bought the roughly 3-hectare plot in 1998, and construction of the Museum of Rural Buildings of the Central Povltaví began the following year. The first historic house, moved from Obděnice, was reassembled on the new site in 2000, and the museum opened to visitors in 2002.

Altogether, close to twenty residential, farm, technical and small sacred buildings have been progressively relocated to the valley. Today the site holds well over a dozen structures, several of which — timber log houses, farm outbuildings, a smithy, a water mill, wooden chapels and a beehive apiary — are open to the public as interior exhibitions or seasonal displays. The exhibits illustrate traditional crafts, everyday village life and farming practices in Central Bohemia.

How to get there?

Driving is the most convenient option — Vysoký Chlumec sits on local roads connecting Příbram and Sedlčany, and the museum is signposted with parking near the entrance. Travelers relying on public transport can take a bus to Vysoký Chlumec (with connections from Příbram and Sedlčany among others) and walk the rest of the way — the skanzen lies on the edge of the village, a walk of well under half an hour from the centre.

When to visit?

Czech open-air museums typically operate seasonally, from spring through autumn, with limited opening days outside the main season — it's worth checking the current opening calendar on the Mining Museum Příbram website before setting off. A particularly good time to visit is during one of the themed days the museum runs together with the village — the traditional Masopust carnival, Easter, the Day of Crafts, and Folklore Day — when the skanzen comes alive with demonstrations of old crafts and folk customs.

How much time should you plan?

A relaxed visit, including a look inside the buildings open to the public and a walk between the structures scattered through the valley, takes roughly one to two hours. It makes for a good short trip combining the natural setting of the stream valley with the history of rural building traditions, and pairs well with a visit to nearby Sedlčany or Příbram.

Frequently asked questions

What is Skanzen Vysoký Chlumec? It's an open-air folk architecture museum, a branch of the Mining Museum in Příbram, gathering historic rural buildings from the central Povltaví region dating from the mid-17th to the early 20th century.

How many buildings can you see at the museum? Close to twenty structures — residential, agricultural, technical and sacred — have been relocated to the site over time, with well over a dozen currently standing in the valley and several open as interior exhibitions.

When was the open-air museum built? The land was purchased in 1998, construction began in 1999, the first house (moved from Obděnice) was reassembled in 2000, and the museum opened to visitors in 2002.

How do you get to the open-air museum? Driving via local roads from Příbram or Sedlčany is easiest — the museum lies in the northern part of Vysoký Chlumec, along the road to Ústupenice. A bus to the village followed by a short walk is also possible.