Upside-Down House – Szymbark, Poland - Atlas Obscura

Upside-Down House

Szymbark, Poland

Communism's topsy-turvy effect on Poland has been brought to life in this wacky tourist trap.  

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Positioned at the foot of a mountain, this trippy home highlights the symbolic inversions of communist rule in Poland by literally turning an entire house on its head.

Built in 2007, this tourist trap/political statement is like a mystery house with an anti-communist bend. The upside down house is essentially a fully furnished home like any other, but took much longer than normal to build as workers kept becoming disoriented, forcing them to stop work. It wasn’t even built simply upside down, but on a tilt as well, essentially eliminating the comfort of a reliable, flat surface. 

Visitors have to climb into the house though one of the attic windows, but once inside, they are able to take a stroll through the house on the ceiling. The interior is decked out in furnishings from the 1970s, when Poland was under Communist rule. There is even an old television that blares vintage propaganda. It’s touches like this where the strange attraction’s true message, designed by the project’s patron Daniel Czapiewski, becomes clear: life in Communist Poland turned the world upside down. 

Whether you’re interested in the political message or you just want to make yourself dizzy walking through an upside down house, this place has got you covered. Either way, bring dramamine.

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