Open-air Museum "Old Village" Sirogojno

"Old Village" is an open-air museum that shows architecture, interior facilitation, ways of doing business and organization of family life of the people of hilly-mountainous areas of the Balkan Peninsula Dinar region. It is located in Sirogojno, on the mount Zlatibor, the most popular tourist destination in Serbia.  

The process of relocation, installation and reconstruction of Zlatibor log cabins in the "Old Village" was initiated upon the design project developed by architect Ranko Findrik and the Republic Institute for Protection of Cultural Heritage in 1980. The initiative came from the Sirogojno handicrafts organization and was realized owing to persistence of Dobrila Vasiljevic-Smiljanić. 

The selected buildings represent a wealth of architecture and development of housing in Zlatibor region, but also show social and economic relations in rural areas. Knowledge and skills with which timber has been processed reached a rather high level, which rank these buildings among major architectural creations.  

The permanent exhibition consists of two Zlatibor households, with residential and commercial buildings, such were owned by cooperative rural families in the second half of 19th and early 20th century.  First household has a two-part Zlatibor house with high four-sided roof. The Dinar log cabin is basically rectangular and placed on a stone foundation. 

These facilities include two cottages (resembling the house at all aspects, but noticeably smaller in size and with less furnishings) and a small movable hut (kućer) – actually a bed on sledges for a breeder to be close to his flock at all times. A primitive cone-shaped breeders` dwelling place (kulača) is reconstructed in the vicinity of the cottages. 

The museum also has three craft workshops. Carpentry, pottery and blacksmith workshop. The old and almost forgotten techniques of making objects of wood, metal and clay are presented through revival of the old crafts. 

The Museum visitors have the opportunity to become familiar with the complete process of making these traditional handicraft products.

The fair of old crafts and trades is a presentation of traditional techniques and skills of making craft products preserved to this day in Užice region. The reconstruction of customs performed throughout the calendar year shows the way in which the population of this region marked the major religious and national holidays.

The Hall is intended for diverse program activities: exhibitions, seminars, scientific gatherings, and special concerts. Traditional music concerts are held at the Summer stage of the Museum. We aim to present our saved, rich cultural heritage in the field of performing arts to the public.

Cherishing the traditional way of food preparation, the Museum Inn offers culinary specialties that Zlatibor is famous for on a daily basis. There are apartment buildings and educational workshops to accommodate participants of various programs, seminars and workshops.

The products of old crafts with the use value have been made on the models of museum exhibits. They are made by skillful hands of rural artisans who preserve the traditional technique from oblivion.