"Krystyna i Włodzimierz Tomek" Natural Museum in Ciężkowice

The Krystyna and Włodzimierz Tomek Natural History Museum in Ciężkowice enjoys great popularity among tourist groups due to its interesting, modern, and interactive way of conveying information about various species of animals and plants inhabiting the Pogórze Microregion. The museum features an ornithological exhibition, a foothill meadow, a bathyscaphe, as well as models of large predators.

The history of the Natural History Museum in Ciężkowice and its collections is closely connected with the figure of Dr. Włodzimierz Tomek. The uniqueness and distinctiveness of the collection result not only from its value but also from the immense contribution of the museum's founder to nature conservation and scientific research in the region. The hunting and forestry traditions in the Tomek family have been passed down from generation to generation. Dr. Włodzimierz has been passionate about nature since his early youth and in 1928, he began his adventure with hunting and made his first observations of nature. As a member of the Polish Hunting Association since 1934, he contributed to documenting the richness of Polish fauna by preparing and collecting animals. His doctoral thesis entitled "Birds of the western part of the Ciężkowickie Foothills," defended in 1977, was based on the collected exhibits related to ornithology.

Another important figure in the history of the museum is Dr. Włodzimierz's wife, Mrs. Krystyna Tomek, who supported her husband in his research.

The museum attracts attention with over 200 species of birds, hunting trophies, and insects, which were initially exhibited in the Tomek family's home. During the tourist season, Dr. Włodzimierz devoted many hours to guiding tours. Thanks to his determination and overcoming adversity, the collection was moved to its current location in 1989, where it operated unchanged until 2006. During this time, the collections were taken care of successively by Bogdan Kieś, Edward Krasiński, and Aneta Wilga.

It is worth emphasizing that the uniqueness of the museum lies in the fact that it was founded and assembled by two individuals, which gives the exhibits their individual character and often interesting stories or anecdotes. For example, one of the exhibits is a shrike, which was found as a young bird in Rzepiennik Strzyżewski and brought to the Tomek family's home for rehabilitation. The shrike became famous due to its rarity. During one of the television photo sessions, the bird got so stressed that it fainted, making it impossible to take interesting shots.

Another interesting example is a starling that grew up in the house and was named "Rajtek." It learned to imitate sounds such as wheel clatter, door squeak, or kettle whistle. The starling even learned to pronounce the name of Dr. Włodzimierz's wife. One of the important guests heard the starling saying the name "Krystyna," which made the guests feel deceived, and they never visited the museum again.

Tourists are invited to visit the Krystyna and Włodzimierz Tomek Natural History Museum in Ciężkowice, where they can experience fascinating exhibits and learn about the history and passion of the museum's founders.