The Museum of Papermaking open for visitors in new conditions
The coronavirus pandemic changed our life a lot. It also interrupted a very good period for the Museum of Papermaking, which in the first weeks of 2020 enjoyed great interest among tourists. In January and February, we recorded the increase in the number of visitors by 75% compared to the same period in 2019.
Basing on the decision of state authorities, since March 12th the museum was closed for visitors. We intensified our online activity, inaugurating on our website the # Zostań w domu z Muzeum Papiernictwa (# Stay home with the Museum of Papermaking) tab, which included educational videos and popular science articles. We did not postpone our preparations to inscribing the most precious paper mills on the UNESCO list. The project uniting historical paper mills from Poland (Duszniki Zdrój), Czech Republic (Velke Losiny), Germany (Homburg in Bavaria) and France (Ambert) is continued, even if the tasks planned for spring need to be this year rescheduled to summer months.
In April we began preparations to the opening of the museum already in new conditions. We developed new visit rules, consulted with District Sanitary Epidemiological Service in Kłodzko. Already at the end of April the museum was ready for reopening – the only missing element was the decision of government authorities concerning the reopening of museums. It turned out that museums and galleries would be allowed to resume their activity “within the second phase of the reopening of economy”, which began on May 4th. This is why the Museum of Papermaking was reopened for visitors already on May 4th, as one of the first museums in Poland. In connection with the fact that the risk of infection is still present, we operate following slightly different rules:
– in order to avoid people gathering, we limited the number of visitors entering the museum to 10 per half an hour,
– phone booking has been introduced to prevent the formation of queues, so before a visit, it is recommended to call 748 627 427 (EN), 748 627 413 (DE) or email [email protected] to schedule the hour of the visit,
– as it is the case all over Poland, it is necessary to wear a face mask while visiting the museum and use hand disinfection solution,
– we have prepared our audio guide in the version to be downloaded on smartphones (our audio guides are also available and are disinfected after each use) – audio guides are available in English, German, Czech and Polish language version,
– it is possible to manufacture your own sheet of paper, also respecting special safety measures.
The Museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. and on Sunday from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Do not hesitate to visit us!
Maciej Szymczyk
Director of the Museum of Papermaking
