President’s Palace in Kraków will host a wooden nativity stall donated by Zakopane, set up on December 17.
Historic Placement at the Palace
On Wednesday, 17 December, President Paweł Szefernaker announced that a Christmas stall would be erected in front of the Presidential Palace, the first time such a structure has appeared on the premises. The delegation from Małopolska arrived the following Thursday, bringing the stall components; installation was completed that same day.
Donations from the Tatra Region
The wooden stall is a gift from the city of Zakopane. Figures of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus were carved from linden trunks by local sculptors from Poronin, while Christmas trees from Dolina Chochołowska were donated by the Forest Community of Eight Villages in Witów. A few bags of fragrant hay, sourced from the Tatra mountains, were also supplied for the stall. The overall decoration was presented by Małopolska Marshal Łukasz Smółka, as cited by regional parliament member Jan Piczura.
A Distinctive Coat of Arms
Among the stall’s ornate lights, garlands, and interior figures, the front displays the coat of arms of the Małopolska province. This emblem, in bold contrast to the other festive ornaments, draws particular attention to the installation.