Malowany dom. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

For the townsfolk of Zalipie, every day is a celebration since the isolated outpost blossomed into one of Poland’s most iconic villages.

What was once a bleak and forgotten cluster of smoke-blackened huts, has over the years transformed into a kaleidoscopic feast of colour – and one of southern Poland’s best-kept treasures.

Each house is decorated with its own vibrant floral motif, painstakingly hand-painted by the town’s housewives.

Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

This lovely tradition started with more than a century ago, when every single female resident in Zalipie begun to paint her home with floral motives, as she wanted to cover up some particular faults. And since the women didn’t have professionally made equipment, they manufactured the brushes themselves, using hair from the tails of their cows. As or the paint itself, women used fat from the dumplings they made. Very important is that each year, all the women had to repaint their charming drawings. And they did so, after the Feast of Corpus Christi, when they weren’t so busy with their farm work.

The practice dates back to when the smoke from stoves filtered out through tiny vents in the roof. But over the years the areas around these ventilation holes became scarred by sooty blotches. The women tried to cover the marks up by whitewashing over them but many were still faintly visible through the paint. So to make their homes completely immaculate for religious festivals, the women hid the spots behind these intricate flower designs. Gradually they took their designs outside, painting them on their homes for the world to see. Now every house in the village is decorated with its own individual flower design – some that cover an entire house. But once modern cooking techniques and improved ventilation came in to practice, these cover-ups were no longer necessary. But the villagers kept them up all the same. The village now even holds an annual painting competition around the festival of Corpus Christi that sees women, and some men, compete to be crowned the village’s best flower-painter.

The competition – known as Malowana Chata – has been held every year since 1948, introduced as part of a wider effort to help the country recover from the horrors of the Second World War, in which 17 per cent of the population died. Now the art has spread from houses onto almost anything in the village that can be painted, from the village bridge, to bins, outhouses and even chicken coops.

Currently, Zalipie is considered one of the most picturesque villages in Poland. But, despite its beauty and unique tradition, Zalipie is not invaded by tourists. Going there is not only a perfect way to escape the busy life found in large cities or towns, but also a good, relaxing manner to simply enjoy life and art.

Take a look at these beautiful pictures of this village! Truly amazing!

Studnia. Photo credit Magro_kr at Flickr.com

Dom Malarek. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Zegar słoneczny. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Studnia. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Malowane wrota. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Malowany dom. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Kościół św. Józefa. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Zagroda Felicji Curyłowej. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Studnia. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Malowany dom. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Kościół św. Józefa. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com

Malowane drzwi. Photo credit magro_kr on Flickr.com