In the latest episode of our “Holistic Heritage” podcast, we take our microphone not only through the hidden corners of Kraków but also on a journey across the wider region, as Małopolska has much to offer in terms of cultural heritage!
One of the best ways to discover its treasures is by taking part in the Małopolska Culture Heritage Days — an annual event organised by the Małopolska Institute of Culture (MIK), which this year received the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award in the Citizens Engagement and Awareness-raising category.
John Beauchamp is joined by Dr Katarzyna Jagodzińska, Head of the Heritage Hub, as they visit three sites featured on this year’s Małopolska Culture Heritage Days trail. The theme for the 2025 edition is “light”.
We begin our journey in the charming village of Zakrzów, located about 30 km from Kraków, near Niepołomice. There, we visit Zagroda Apolonia, where the determined Elżbieta Graboś is rebuilding a traditional wooden cottage whose roof was destroyed in a fire in 2023. At the homestead, we also meet Radek Rak — a veterinarian and fantasy author — who was commissioned by MIK to write a special book for the 27th edition of the event.
After catching our breath, we press on. In Kraków, we step into the historic Sperling tenement house on Sławkowska Street, just off the Main Market Square. There, we meet Christian and Véronique Leprette — grandchildren of the former owners — as well as art historian and exhibition curator Katarzyna Łomnicka, who guides us through a display of works by Maria Sperling and Józef Jarema. We also pay a visit to the Jerzmanowski Palace in Kraków’s Prokocim district.
In this 17th episode of Holistic Heritage, we also meet part of the team behind the Małopolska Culture Heritage Days at MIK — Joanna Nowostawska-Gyalókay, Małgorzata Hordyniec and Dominika Mietelska-Jarecka — who share a behind-the-scenes look at one of the region’s largest recurring events celebrating cultural richness, held annually since 1999 and now a firm fixture in the calendar of heritage enthusiasts.
