A History Written in Hops

This exhibition, translated and adapted from the museum’s Polish-language copy (the Regional Museum in Krasnystaw has no dedicated English version of this page), draws on collector Grzegorz Brzyszko’s collection to trace nearly two centuries of Polish brewing tradition.

Regional Museum in Krasnystaw on the exhibition:

The exhibition “A History Written in Hops. Polish Brewing Through the Eyes of Grzegorz Brzyszko” is a unique journey through nearly two centuries of tradition, covering the most important stages in the development of the domestic brewing industry. Thanks to Grzegorz Brzyszko’s passion and exceptional collection, we will be able to trace the path from the recovery of independence, through turbulent political changes, to the present day.

What to expect

The exhibition was made possible by the passion and collection of Grzegorz Brzyszko - a Krasnystaw-born brewer, collector and author of the book “Chmielaki Krasnostawskie 50 lat” - in partnership with Perła - Browary Lubelskie S.A. and under the patronage of Krasnystaw County. It opened on 15 July 2026 with museum director Marta Stelmaszczuk, Krasnystaw county head Marek Piwko and Krasnystaw mayor Daniel Miciuła in attendance; it runs at the museum’s premises at ul. Piłsudskiego 5A in Krasnystaw through 30 September 2026.

Context

Krasnystaw, alongside the Powiśle area, is one of Poland’s two main hop-growing centres - the earliest records of hop-growing on land belonging to an Augustinian monastery there date to the 1780s, and the modern tradition was built up by Tadeusz Fleszyński (1886-1968), an agricultural-school teacher who trained generations of local hop farmers. The hop-drying barns still standing around the town are evidence of that history. The town has run its Chmielaki Krasnostawskie festival since 1971, which grew into a national event by 1977 - 2026 saw its 55th edition (21-23 August).

Tickets and time

The museum is open Tuesday to Friday 8:00-16:00 and weekends 10:00-15:00, closed Mondays and holidays. A standard ticket costs 14 PLN, a reduced ticket 8 PLN, a family ticket 30 PLN (up to two adults and five children under 18); children under 7 and school groups enter free, and admission is free for everyone on Thursdays. The museum does not sell tickets online and states no English-language information for this exhibition. Allow about 45 minutes for the visit.

See also

Regional Museum in Krasnystaw profile - the museum also holds a permanent hop-growing and brewing collection tied to the Chmielaki festival.

Museum profile: Regional Museum in Krasnystaw .