Wolimierz Station

There are places you visit and never want to leave. Stacja Wolimierz is one of them. This former train station in a small village in the Jizera Mountains close to the Czech border was saved from demolition by a group of artists. And since 1991, they've been building something that's hard to put into words.

The station calls itself the "Interplanetary Kingdom of Art", without any hint of exaggeration. It is, after all, home to the Klinika Lalek theatre, a gallery, a café, and space for workshops, concerts, exhibitions, and gatherings for people from all over the world. Every summer, travellers, artists, musicians, and anyone looking to escape the daily routine gather here for a festival whose programme features everything from world music and folk to experimental theatre, yoga, dance workshops, and eco-initiatives.

The venue runs on the principles of volunteering and cross-cultural exchange, with no big sponsors or strict deadlines. And so it is that the Polish part of the Tri-Country Region has its own unique, independent spot on the map - at an old train station in the heart of the mountains.