Attraction in Zakopane

Gallery of 20th Century Art at Villa Oksza

A Zakopane-Style villa designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz in 1894, now a branch of the Tatra Museum showing 20th century art inspired by Zakopane and the Tatras.

Reviewed and updated July 2026

The Gallery of 20th Century Art at Villa Oksza is a branch of the Tatra Museum set inside a wooden Zakopane-Style villa, showing paintings and sculpture by artists drawn to Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains. People visit for the pairing of the art with the building itself, a house designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz in 1894 whose carved beams and door frames survive as part of the setting.

What you see inside

The permanent exhibition gathers works by artists who took Zakopane and the surrounding Tatras as their subject, hung throughout the villa's original rooms. Rather than sitting in a plain white gallery, the pieces share space with preserved Zakopane-Style details, including carved beams, decorative door frames and window surrounds. The effect is that the house and the art comment on each other, since many of the artists were part of the same creative circle that shaped the town's look.

A Witkiewicz villa from 1894

Villa Oksza was designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz in 1894 as the third house he built in the Zakopane Style, the timber architecture he developed from local highland building traditions. It was made for Wincenty Kossakowski, a mining official, and stands on Zamoyskiego Street. The Tatra Museum restored the villa and reopened it in 2011 as the Gallery of 20th Century Art, which is why the building doubles as both an exhibit and a home for one.

Who it suits

The gallery rewards anyone interested in the Zakopane Style, in Polish art of the last century, or simply in stepping inside one of Witkiewicz's original wooden houses. It is a calmer, indoor counterpoint to a day spent in the mountains, and it works well on a grey or wet afternoon. Because it is a branch of the Tatra Museum, it pairs naturally with the museum's other sites around town for visitors who want more of the same story.

Fitting it into a Zakopane trip

Villa Oksza sits on Zamoyskiego Street, within reach of the town centre, so it slots easily between walks, cable car trips and time on Krupówki. Give it an hour or so alongside the other Tatra Museum branches if you want to understand how Zakopane became an artists' town. For orientation and nearby ideas, see our Zakopane guide.

Good to know

Villa Oksza is a branch of the Tatra Museum, so check the museum's official channels for current opening hours and ticket details before you go.

Frequently asked questions

It is a wooden Zakopane-Style villa designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz in 1894, restored by the Tatra Museum and reopened in 2011 as the Gallery of 20th Century Art.

A permanent exhibition of 20th century works by artists inspired by Zakopane and the Tatras, displayed among the villa's preserved carved beams, door frames and window surrounds.

Yes. The Gallery of 20th Century Art at Villa Oksza is one of the branches of the Tatra Museum in Zakopane.

More attractions in Zakopane

View all

Krupowki

The main pedestrian street of Zakopane, lined with restaurants, highland-cheese stalls, shops and the buzz of the mountain resort.

Giewont

The iconic 1,894 metre mountain overlooking Zakopane, crowned by a 15 metre iron cross erected in 1901. Its silhouette is said to resemble a sleeping knight and is the symbol of the town.

Wielka Krokiew

Zakopane's large ski jump on the slopes of Krokiew, with an in-run tower rising above the town. It regularly hosts FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competitions in winter.

Chochołowskie Termy (Chochołów Thermal Baths)

Chochołowskie Termy is Poland's largest thermal pool complex, sitting about a 20-minute drive from Zakopane in the village of Chochołów. Around 50 pools and barrels of warm geothermal mineral water make it a year-round favourite with families and skiers.

Jan Kasprowicz Museum at Harenda

A biographical museum in the wooden villa where poet Jan Kasprowicz lived until his death in 1926, set at the Kraków-side entrance to Zakopane and preserving his rooms, manuscripts and personal effects.

Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Jaszczurowka

A wooden log chapel from 1907 designed by Stanislaw Witkiewicz, widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Zakopane Style architecture and the most beautiful wooden sacral building in the Tatra region.