Museum of Apiculture in Kamianna
Kamianna 17, 33-336 Kamianna
Tourist region: Beskid Sądecki i Niski
The Barć Apiary, named after Rev. Dr Henry Ostach in Kamienna, is not only about caring for bees; it also produces honey and bee products and has a shop. It is a place where you can feel a unique closeness to nature and learn about beekeeping traditions. A visit to the apiary's Museum of Apiculture will provide visitors with interesting facts about bee biology. They can even make their candles with a beeswax base. Natural treatments with beeswax and its derivatives are also used here. The owners of the apiary are Emilia and Jacek Nowak.
The Museum's guided nature trail takes you through the area's most important sites, providing a broad perspective. The tour starts at the Orthodox church in Kamianna, then leads to the open-air museum of beehives. Here, you'll see a variety of beehives, from the oldest ones in the hollows of tree trunks to the modern ones used in industrial honey production. Here, you can also get to know the history of apiculture, learn about the biology of the bee colony at the apiary, and see the beekeeping workshops in the pavilion. The Museum displays one of the largest collections of sculptures, including that of St Ambrose – the patron saint of beekeepers. The Museum's collections consist of two expositions: a biographical one dedicated to the person of Rev. Dr Henry Ostach – a priest and beekeeper, long-time president of the Polish Beekeeping Association – and an exhibition on beekeeping, including a display of beekeeping equipment and tools from the last 200 years! The tour includes honey tasting in the café, shopping in the local shop and trying on beekeepers' headgear. The tour duration is between 30 and 60 minutes. It is advisable to contact in advance to confirm details by phone +48 184741632 or email barc@kamianna.pl. The on-site owners also offer accommodation, arrange bonfires and lead teaching activities for beekeepers and young people. The nearby Beekeeper's House of the Polish Beekeeping Association is a teaching base for agricultural school pupils, students and beekeepers. It hosts lectures and promotional shows for tourist groups, during which the medicinal and nutritional values of honey and bee products are presented.