Biskupin

Biskupin is a partially reconstructed prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement on a peninsula in Lake Biskupin, in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region of Poland. Founded around 700–400 BC, the site spans both the Early Iron Age Hallstatt culture and the late Bronze Age Lusatian culture. It was only rediscovered in 1933, when a local teacher noticed wooden structures eroding from the lakeshore — the waterlogged peat had preserved the timber for over two millennia with remarkable fidelity. The open-air museum today features reconstructed longhouses, a defensive palisade, and the wooden perimeter walkway that once encircled the island settlement. Each September an archaeology festival animates the site with Iron Age crafts, cooking, and combat demonstrations, making it one of Poland's most visited prehistoric heritage sites.