Willa Koliba

About

Willa Koliba in Zakopane is the first building ever created in the Zakopane Style, designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz in the early 1890s. Set on historic Kościeliska Street, the wooden villa reflects Witkiewicz’s vision of an architectural language rooted in Podhale’s highlander traditions. Built for Zygmunt Gnatowski, a collector passionate about Tatra culture, the house originally served as both a residence and a place to store his ethnographic treasures. Its interiors were crafted with remarkable attention to detail, featuring custom‑designed furniture, tiled stoves, decorative woodwork, and handcrafted metal elements. Today, Willa Koliba functions as a museum, presenting rooms restored to their original purpose, including the dining room, salon, bedroom, and Gnatowski’s private chambers. Exhibits highlight authentic Zakopane Style craftsmanship from the turn of the 20th century, offering visitors an intimate look at the origins of Poland’s first national architectural style and the cultural heritage of the Tatra region.

Zakopane Poland

Location

Willa Koliba is located at Kościeliska 18, on Zakopane’s oldest street Kościeliska, in the heart of the town’s historic wooden‑house district. Nearby you will find a cluster of traditional wooden “koliby” and Tatra crofts, the Old Church and Old Cemetery at Pęksowy Brzyzek, as well as the charming Gąsienica‑Sobczak shepherd‑hut and other Zakopane‑style villas, all within easy walking distance along Kościeliska Street.