- “In Pacanów goat had shoes
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. Is the capital of fairy tales. This town, promoted by Kornel Makuszyński, today welcomes all children eager fabulous adventures.
Koziołek Matołek is a fictional character created by Kornel Makuszyński. It was the first and most popular Polish comic. Created in 1933, popular till today. It is an important part of Polish children’s literature.
- 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 surrounding market buildings are decorated with colorful images of fairy-tale characters. 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 dozens of 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, he had glasses and mustache. 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 not the market nor the beautifully decorated streets. Families visiting Pacanow are primarily drawn to the European Centre of Tales. This center was founded in 2010 and is dedicated to children, parents and people working with children. The building’s design looks like mud pies.
Important note: due to the popularity of the place (especially during the holiday season), we recommend you to 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 there is a twilight, and well-chosen lighting enhances the visitors’ experience. 
- One of the museum center’s attractions is a fabulous train, the children travel through the depths of the oceans, fly into space, and move through time. There is also a lot of observation areas, special effects (eg. Highlighted steam).
- Children also have the opportunity to listen to fairy tales while sitting on water lily seats. As a bonus, we will have 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 from buying souvenirs, or when using the services of cafes). - 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 center Tales, 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 experienced 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 Pacanów: