The following paper presents the results of numerous examples of research on the perception of landscape. The research was carried out in various ways and for various reasons. In all instances, however, it aimed at learning how non-professionals perceive landscape in practice and what their attitudes towards landscape protection and management are. The common base for this research is the idea of the homeliness of architecture. The research pertains to the cultural landscape of cities of various sizes - from the capital city of Warsaw thorough to a tiny hamlet of Krzeszowice. The general conclusion of the research work is that the inhabitants do appreciate the cultural landscape of their towns and villages more than the urban planners or landscape architects suppose. If the inhabitants oppose projects implemented by the professionals or the local authorities, they do so mostly because the spatial planning and landscape protection procedures are burdened with un-democratic habits and behavior originating from the communist past.