Few would associate Vincent Van Gogh with Poland, but it’s there in a quaint village that one of the world’s most unusual homages to the painter can be found. A cluster of cottages has been transformed into giant canvases adorned with murals inspired by his most celebrated masterpieces. The village of Brzózki feels like the kind of place that time has forgotten. Founded in the 1790s, the village with a population that barely reaches 120, appears to have changed very little over time. For the past decade, its cottages, farmhouses and outbuildings have been transformed into works of art, turning the village into an enchanting outdoor gallery. Waldemar and Katarzyna Banaszek — creators of the project — say they wanted to blend nature and art together as one. To realize their goal, the couple launched a project to recreate Van Gogh’s paintings on the walls of the village, selecting the artist not because of any link to Poland but for the way he captured the rhythms and realities of daily country life. A group of young artists from the village of Lodz were enlisted to paint the first murals, which made their debut in 2016. Now, 10 years on, 11 murals lie scattered across the village, helping put Brzózki on the map and landing it a place on National Geographic’s "Wonders of Poland” travel article in 2025. The annual Van Gogh Festival takes place in mid-August, when for three days the tiny village features a craft fair, live concerts, art workshops, film screenings, and the unveiling of a new Van Gogh-inspired outdoor mural.
