Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki Zdrój

The Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki Zdrój is located in a historic building paper mill. This place shows the history of paper and paper products. This is a great example of how interesting the story of a discovery that changed the course of history can be told.

Museum of Papermaking - history

The paper mill in Duszniki Zdrój is the oldest in Poland and one of the oldest preserved paper mills in Europe. In the past, it was one of the most famous and largest in Silesia. The tradition of papermaking in Lower Silesia dates back to the Middle Ages, when about 100 mills operated in this area. It was the period of the so-called handmade paper. However, only the paper mill in Duszniki has survived to our times within the borders of Poland.

The first mention of it dates back to 1562 and is related to the sale of shares in the mill to a certain Nicolaus Kretschmer by Ambrosius Tepper. We also know that the building of the paper mill was destroyed by a flood in 1601, and the factory resumed its activity four years later thanks to the efforts of Nicolaus' son, Gregor.

The heyday of the paper mill dates back to the end of the 18th century. Its owners were then given the title of "court papermakers". They expanded and decorated the mill, creating one of the most beautiful industrial buildings in Europe. In the 19th century, handmade paper began to make history due to the invention of a new mass-scale papermaking technique. The mill, due to the ever-decreasing number of orders, gradually fell into decline, despite switching to the production of cardboard. The economic crisis in the 1920s also contributed to the collapse of the company. In 1939, the paper mill was bought by the city, with the intention of creating a museum here. After 1945, the mill passed into the hands of the Polish state, and in 1968 it was established there Papermaking Museum.

CTA block

Corporate or family events?

Dwór Korona Karkonosze invites you!

In 2011, the mill gained the status of a historical monument. Thanks to this, it can already apply for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Museum of Papermaking - architecture

paper mill was built on Bystrzyca Dusznicka. The complex, consisting of three interconnected buildings (a mill, a drying plant and an octagonal pavilion with a bridge over the river), has unique architectural and aesthetic values. The mill and the half-timbered pavilion were decorated with arcades. The shingled roofs with the characteristic upper storey of the building, finished with a baroque volute, look like they have been transported from another era. Decorations of buildings - rosettes, scrolls, wall paintings are elements unheard of in other buildings of this type.

Collections of the Museum of Papermaking 

Among the harvest Papermaking Museum there are accessories related to the history of paper, unique on a European scale, including paper making equipment, old banknotes, documents, bookplates and portraits of papermakers. Other rare exhibits of old paper technology and paper processing are carved wallpaper printing dies, paper presses and paper grating screens. However, the activity of the museum is not limited to exhibitions only. In 1971, the production of handmade paper was resumed here, using old techniques.

When visiting the Museum of Papermaking, you can choose one of two routes - With paper for two millennia or Art and money, as well as sign up for paper making workshops.

Paper making workshop

A visit to the Museum of Papermaking is a unique opportunity to see what paper production looked like several centuries ago. You can create a sheet of handmade paper yourself.  

Information for visitors

• The Museum of Papermaking is located on route no. 8, at ul. Kłodzka 42, 57-340 Duszniki-Zdrój;
• The museum is open at different times depending on the season:
• May to August: Monday to Saturday 9:00–18:00, Sundays 9:00-16:00;
• September to October: Monday to Saturday 9:00 - 17:00, on Sundays from 9:00 - 16:00;
• November to April: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 - 15:00;
• visiting the museum is payable;
• there are 2 routes to choose from: With paper for two thousand years; Art and money – cost PLN 22 (normal ticket) and PLN 17 (reduced ticket);
• children under 7 do not pay admission;
• a family ticket for 3 people costs PLN 60, and for 4 people - PLN 76;
• you can also buy a paper making workshop - PLN 19 per person;
• free admission on Monday - from May to October and during the winter holidays (permanent exhibitions, no workshops);
• free admission on Tuesday - from November to April, except for winter holidays (permanent exhibitions, no workshops);
• there is a shop in the Museum of Papermaking where we can buy handmade paper and original stationery;
• an audioguid system is available;
• The museum is one of the most important tourist facilities in the Kłodzko Region; about 70,000 people visit it annually. people.

Access from Dwór Korona Karkonosze