A sight in the Kaszuby region

CEPR Szymbark — the upside-down house and the longest plank in the world

The Centre for Education and Promotion of the Region at Szymbark is one of Kashubia's most recognisable attractions. It is famous for a house built upside down and for the longest plank in the world, measuring 46.53 metres — a Guinness World Record from 2012.

A symbol of the fall of communism

The upside-down house is the complex's best-known attraction. It was built as a "symbol of the fall of communism" and is conceived as an allegory of a modern world in which tradition and values have been turned on their heads. Once inside, visitors feel the ground giving way beneath their feet.

What makes up the site

  • The Upside-Down House — a symbol of the fall of communism
  • The Longest Plank in the World — 46.53 m, a Guinness record from 2012
  • Kashubian cottages — historic wooden buildings
  • Bunkers — a Siberian labour camp and partisan bunkers

In practice

The complex is at Szymbark, under 2 km from the summit of Wieżyca — the two go well together in a single day. There is also a restaurant and the Hotel Szymbark on site. Opening hours and prices depend on the season.

How to get there and practical info

Location
Szymbark, ul. Szymbarskich Zakładników 12
Admission
Ticketed; seasonal opening hours
Top attractions
The upside-down house and the longest plank in the world
Nearby
Wieżyca (under 2 km), Hotel Szymbark
Who it suits
Families with children, all age groups
Time needed
2–3 hours to see everything
Mapa: Google Maps · 54.2225, 18.0728

When to go

Spring

Quiet, with a pleasant visit surrounded by greenery.

Summer

The height of the season, with plenty of families.

Autumn

Golden woods and less traffic.

Winter

Limited opening — check the hours in advance.

Other sights in Kaszuby

Straight-line distances from „CEPR Szymbark — the upside-down house and the longest plank" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.

Wieżyca and the John Paul II viewing towerThe highest point of the Kashubian Lake District and of the whole Polish Lowland (329 m).
~825 m as the crow flies
The Necel Centre of Kashubian Ceramics at ChmielnoA family ceramics workshop at Chmielno, run by the Necel family since the 19th century — t
~13 km as the crow flies
The former Carthusian collegiate church at KartuzyThe Gothic Carthusian collegiate church (14th century) with a unique Baroque roof shaped l
~15 km as the crow flies
The sanctuary of Our Lady of Sianowo — Queen of KashubiaA Marian sanctuary at Sianowo with a Gothic figure of Our Lady, crowned in 1966 as Queen o
~16 km as the crow flies
Lake Wdzydze — the "Kashubian Sea"The Wdzydze Cross of Lakes, called the "Kashubian Sea" — five linked lakes (Wdzy
~27 km as the crow flies
The Kashubian Ethnographic Park at WdzydzeThe oldest open-air museum in Poland, founded in 1906 by Teodora and Izydor Gulgowski. 22
~30 km as the crow flies
The Wejherowo Calvary — the Kashubian JerusalemThe Calvary at Wejherowo with 26 Baroque and Rococo chapels of 1649 — founded by Jakub Wej
~44 km as the crow flies

Where to stay nearby

Places from our list that have CEPR Szymbark — the upside-down house and the longest plank within walking distance or a short drive.

Hotel SzymbarkHotel — przy CEPR, w sercu Szwajcarii Kaszubskiej · Szymbark, ul. Szymbarskich Zakładników 12
Lakeside Pensjonat nad JezioremPensjonat z prywatną plażą nad jeziorem Ostrzyckim · Ostrzyce, ul. Droga Kaszubska 34
Stadnina Koni KolanoAgroturystyka i domki — u stóp Wieżycy · Szymbark, Kolano 74 — u stóp Wieżycy, z widokiem na jezioro Ostrzyckie
Gościniec MalinówkaPensjonat z domkami — przy Wieżycy · Okolice Szymbarka i Wieżycy

See all places to stay in the Kaszuby region →