European Fairytale Centre in Pacanów with Kids

“In Pacanów they shoe the goats
So Goat, wise head,
wanders around the world,
to come to Pacanów. “

Following Koziołek Matołek we went to Pacanów. Pacanów is a small town between Tarnow and Kielce and between Krakow and Sandomierz. It is the capital of fairy tales. This town, promoted by Kornel Makuszyński, today welcomes all children eager for fabulous adventures.

Koziołek Matołek is a fictional character created by Kornel Makuszyński. It is seen as one of the first Polish comics. The first book came out in 1933, and it is still popular today. It is an important part of Polish children's literature.

Fun fact: on 1 June 2003, Koziołek Matołek’s 70th birthday, the Polish Minister of Culture named Pacanów the European Capital of Fairy Tales. And on 1 January 2019, Pacanów became a town again. It had town rights from 1265 to 1869.

In the middle of the village there is a market square with a few monuments of Koziołek Matołek (Matołek the Billy-Goat). There is a monument carved from wood, and even one made of flowers. The buildings around the square are decorated with colorful images of the fairy-tale goat. Everything is colorful and fun, like a fairy tale.

People loved Koziołek Matołek. It’s no wonder, he brings tourists here. It is not surprising that in this village we can see such places as “The Koziołek Inn”, “Koziołek’s Gifts” or “Restaurant Fairytale”. We saw more than a dozen goat paintings in shops and on buildings along the street. There was even one goat sitting on a mailbox. Goats are everywhere.

In the menu of every restaurant you will find dishes for children. At every turn, you can see that children are the most important thing in this city.

While walking down the street we were lucky enough to meet a person dressed as a goat. The children almost believed that this was a real cartoon character, but his glasses and mustache gave him away. Who would dress up as a goat and stroll around the city? The goat gave us a high-five and disappeared somewhere in the streets of the city.
The main attraction is neither the market nor the beautifully decorated streets. Families visiting Pacanów are primarily drawn to the European Fairytale Centre. The centre was founded in 2005, has been in its new building since 2010 and is dedicated to children, parents and people working with children. The building looks like giant sand pies.
Important note: due to the popularity of the place (especially during the holiday season), we recommend you book tickets before arrival. Better to avoid disappointing the kids, especially in this place.

The building houses the Museum of Fairy Tales, children’s library with a reading room, a cinema and a theater, gift shop, bookstore and cafe. Around the building you will find an amphitheater, an educational garden and live goats.
The children started the tour with a guide who, in a child-friendly way, talked about what they were seeing. Parents are basically just along for the ride, and children, absorbed by the fairy-tale atmosphere, moved easily from point to point. Visiting the Museum of Fairy Tales is like a journey to the land of fairy tales. Inside it is dim, and well-chosen lighting enhances the visitors' experience.

One of the museum's attractions is a fairy-tale train: the children travel through the depths of the oceans, fly into space, and move through time. There are also observation games and special effects (e.g., illuminated steam).

Children also have the opportunity to listen to fairy tales while sitting on water lily seats. As a bonus, we had the chance to watch one episode of Koziołek Matołek adventures.
At the end of the tour the children get a map with the course of the whole tour and a set of stickers. Sticker time takes place after the tour (during a break for buying souvenirs or when visiting the café).

Pacanow was on our list of must-visit places during the trip. I can honestly say that it didn’t disappoint us. I wholeheartedly recommend coming here for the whole day with the family. In addition to the tour route, you can spend time in the garden surrounding the Fairytale Centre, eat a good, cheap dinner at a nearby restaurant, and buy a goat mascot, a book or a fridge magnet. At the restaurant next to the museum, there was an inflatable play area.
We had so much fun. For a moment, we (parents) felt like children. It’s nice that there are such places in Poland.
Take a look at the video of our visit to Pacanów: