Šariš Museum - Bardejov

Region: Region Prešov (Prešovský kraj)
District: Bardejov
City / Municipality: Bardejov, City part / Municipality part:Bardejov
Tourist location: Šariš

Category: Historical museums and expositions

The Šariš Museum in Bardejov plays an important role in the preservation, protection, and presentation of historical sights. It is one of the oldest museums in Slovakia. In terms of the size of its collections and the results of its professional work, it far exceeds the borders of the region and it is ranked among the most significant institutions of its kind in Slovakia.

The museum was opened on 21st December 1903, as the Museum of the Šarišská župa (Šariš County). The collection of material for the museum started already in 1903. In a short time, almost 3,000 pieces of valuable museum objects were collected. The first, historic display (focused on the history of Šariš), was opened on 23rd June 1907 in the local Town Hall.

The museum currently documents historical, natural and social situation in the Upper Šariš Region. It manages an extensive collection of more than 700 000 museum items. Its artistic, historical and natural collections belong to the most valuable ones in Slovakia. The Šariš Museum provides nationwide documentation of Eastern Rite icons. The Museum of Folk Architecture, managed by the Šariš Museum, is the oldest open air museum in Slovakia.

The museum, with its precious historical, national historical, geographical, natural scientific and artistic exhibits, belongs to those ones in Slovakia that are highly popular among the domestic as well as foreign visitors. This is also proved by the number of visits of the museum's displays. Annually they are seen by about 60,000 domestic and foreign visitors.