“Rzym” Inn

The “Rzym” Inn is a wooden inn from the 18th century that closes off the eastern side of the market square in Sucha Beskidzka. It is on the Wooden Architecture Route of Lesser Poland Voivodeship and is entered in the heritage register.

Origins

The inn was built at a crossroads where, after a privilege was granted, markets and fairs were held. Only later did the place take on the character of a town square. Wikipedia dates the building to the early 18th century, and the heritage register to the second half of the 18th century, so it is safer to speak simply of the 18th century.

Construction

It is a single-storey log building, partly on a stone foundation, covered by a hipped shingle roof. It has a rectangular plan measuring 27 by 19.3 metres and covers 510 square metres. A hall runs along the axis, formerly a drive-through, leading to a coach house for travellers, with the inn rooms at the sides. At the front stand arcades with an openwork wooden balustrade, and inside there are beamed ceilings.

Renovation and the legend of Twardowski

During the Second World War the front façade and the sides were plastered, the back was whitewashed and the roof was covered with roofing felt. At the end of the 1960s the building was renovated, restoring its former appearance, and it was then given its present name. The name refers to a legend according to which Pan Twardowski was to have met Mephistopheles in the “Rzym” inn. This is solely a folk tale, not a documented event.

From the inn it is close to Sucha Beskidzka Castle and the Municipal Museum.

Practical information

• Address: Rynek 17, Sucha Beskidzka.
• Check the opening hours before your visit.
• The building is partly accessible to wheelchair users, which is worth confirming on site.