EXHIBITION: THE TIME OF THE TATRA EXPLORERS

In describing remote places, the English might say "out in the sticks". But Poles have a far better expression. They'd say "where the dogs bark out of their arses" ("gdzie psy dupami szczekaja). It's a glorious idiom that conjures visions of crazed canines in deserted canyons, and not a soul for miles. Well, up until the mid-19th century, Zakopane was very much a place where the dogs barked out of their arses. The so-called 'Krupowki street" was just a couple of wooden hovels, and the first church, also wooden, was not erected until 1847. However, the earliest adventurers - mainly artists, doctors and explorers - were simply blown away by the beauty of the place. This exhibition recalls those first wide-eyed steps into the unknown, when pioneers began their exploration of the region, above all of the Tatra range. Besides articles from local museums, the exhibition will boast many delightful photographs. By the year 1900, Zakopane had become a sort of cultural capital of Poland, with artists and intellectuals from across the divided kingdom descended for a meeting of minds.