Trail of castles,palaces and mansionsin Wielkopolska

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WARSZAWA

www.wielkopolska.travel

www.turystyka-kulturowa-wlkp.pl

Trail of castles, palaces and mansions in Wielkopolska

In Wielkopolska we can see a large number of palaces and mansions. On the other hand there are only a few remaining castles. At present these historical buildings are occupied by museums, companies, insti-tutions, educational facilities and hotels, as well as conference and recreation centres. Some were acquired by private owners and

today are not accessible to the public. We would like to recommend several routes which will allow visitors to take a tour of Wielkopolska palaces. Hotel facilities in these old buildings are almost always ac-companied by restaurants. And if you find some places especially enchanting, you are welcome to stay there for a longer break.

Castle in Rydzyna,photo: Z. Moliński

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Around Poznań

Gułtowy – Podstolice – Czerniejewo – Krześlice – Skrzynki – Sapowice –

Będlewo

Gułtowy

The palace in Gułtowy, located within an 18th century park, is a two-storey building with a rectangular layout, and pro-jections in its front façade. The whole struc-ture is embellished with a hip roof. The west-ern part of the palace holds a two-storey ball room with paintings attributed to Antoni Smuglewicz and dating from ca. 1800. The palace designed by Ignacy Graff was erect-ed during 1779-85 for Ignacy Bniński, who

held the office of Środa Governor and was a Rotamaster of cavalry. It combines Baroque and classicist features. Gułtowy were the property of the Bniński family from the 1770s until 1939. In accordance with the wish of the family of the last estate owner, Adolf Bniński (murdered by the Nazis in 1942), in the 1990s the palace in Gułtowy was given to Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. In 2009 there was a fire in the palace. After reconstruction and restoration works were completed in the palace, carriage house and annexes, the park and palace complex again opened to the public in September 2011.

Palace and Park Complex62-025 Gułtowytel.: 61 818 01 80

Podstolice

The neo-Classicist mansion in Podstolice was built around 1890 for the owner of the nearby estate, Count Hedogron Kierski. Yet, it was privately owned for only a short time. During the interwar period it became a property of the Treasury which leased it to Stanisław Karłowski. After 1950 the mansion was ac-quired by the local Agricultural Co-Opera-tive and that led to its gradual deterioration. In 1992 the mansion was purchased by Anna and Andrzej Kareński, who revived its former splendour. During the following years Podstolice has become renowned for concerts of performing artists, and meetings with film and theatre stars. The palace also hosts conferences and business meetings. The stylish interiors were transformed into a hotel. The mansion is surrounded with a carefully maintained park.

Mansion in Podstoliceul. Kasztanowa 50Podstolice, 62-330 Neklatel. 61 438 68 08, fax 61 438 68 92www.podstolice.pl

Czerniejewo

One of the most impressive palaces in Wielkopolska can be seen in Czerniejewo. The construction of the large late-Baroque residence was commissioned by General Jan Lipski in the 1770s. Today we can still see the original layout of the establishment with a forecourt adjoined by stables and a car-riage house, and a cour d’honneur flanked with the palace and symmetrically located annex buildings. The Baroque concept for a spatial arrangement linking the palace with the town was reflected in the urban layout of Czerniejewo. The settlement was established

Palace in Gułtowy,photo: Z. Schmidt

Mansion in Podstolice,photo: Z. Schmidt

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along a wide street, with a length of approxi-mately 850 metres, connecting the residence with a 16th century church. During the 1790s Jan Lipski recon-structed the mansion in accordance with the classicist style which was in fashion at the time. A monumental, four-column portal was added, and alterations were introduced in its interiors. That is when two grand halls were created. One of these, called Pompeian because of the paintings once embellishing it, was located on the ground floor; the other - a two-storey rotunda-shaped ball room on the first floor, today is used as a concert hall. In 1823 the palace was a part of the dowry which Marianna, General Jan Lipski’s daughter, brought into her mar-riage with Rajmund Skórzewski. From that time until 1939 Czerniejewo was owned by the Skórzewski family. In the 1920s a wing was added on its eastern side connecting the main building with an annex. Similarly, half a century later, in the 1970s and 80s, a wing was erected to provide a link with the other annex. Today the palace in Czerniejewo holds a hotel and conference centre. Visitors can also ride on horseback here.

Palace and Park Complex in Czerniejewoul. gen. Jana Lipskiego 5, 62-250 Czerniejewotel. 61 427 30 30, fax 61 429 13 20www.czerniejewo-palac.pl

Krześlice

The neo-Gothic palace in Krześlice was built in the 1860s by Anastazy Radoński. Following a requirement imposed by the Prussian Settlement Commission his son, Zygmunt, turned Krześlice over to Count Georg von Lutlichau. It was a German prop-erty until the 1930s when due to debts the es-tate was acquired by Kwilecki-Potocki Bank which then divided it into smaller parts. Af-ter WWII the palace was used by the State Agricultural Farm in Pomarzanowice, and later was acquired by the commune of Po-biedziska. In very poor condition, in 1996 it became a private property again. In the course of a year and a half it was thoroughly restored and adapted to hold a hotel and res-taurant.

Palace in KrześliceKrześlice 1, 62-010 Pobiedziskatel. 661 966 813, www.palacwkrzeslicach.pl

Skrzynki

The eclectic, two-storey manor-house in Skrzynki was built in the late 19th century for the German family of Iffland, who owned it until 1945. The building has a rectangular layout, and the most distinc-

tive feature of its front wall is the centrally located avant-corps with the main entrance and a semi-circular balcony above it. Today the palace is owned by the Public Road Management in Puszczykowo, which thoroughly restored the building and in 1990 opened a training and recreation centre here. The palace is surrounded with a small well-maintained park holding a dis-play of old road maintenance equipment.

Manor House in Skrzynkipl. Parkowy 1, Skrzynki, 62-060 Stęszewtel. 61 819 62 25, www.skrzynki-dwor.pl

Sapowice

The eclectic palace in Sapowice dates from the latter half of the 1800s, when the local estate was owned by the German family of Ebert. The building consists of a one-storey central part flanked with two-storey wings – each crowned with a tympa-num. Both the front and the back elevations are adjoined by terraces. The palace was owned by the Tie-mann family until 1945. After WWII it was acquired by the Treasury. Currently it holds a recreation centre of the Raczyński Library in Poznań.

Palace in SapowiceSapowice, 62-062 Strykowotel./fax 61 819 64 01www.bracz.edu.pl

Będlewo

The neo-Gothic palace was erected in 1866 for Bolesław Potocki. We do not know who designed it, yet it is attributed to the so-called Berlin School. The two-storey silhouette can be seen at the edge of a large landscape park. Its asymmetrical yet harmo-nious structure consists of varied segments, including two towers. The palace interiors also feature an irregular layout. In the past the ground floor was occupied by stately rooms and apart-ments used by the owners, while the remain-ing residential and guest rooms were on the first floor. From the mid 1970s the palace has been owned by the Polish Academy of Sci-ences (PAN) and at present holds a confer-ence centre of the PAN Institute of Math-ematics. Palace in Będlewoul. Parkowa 1, Będlewo, 62-060 Stęszewtel. 61 813 51 87www. palacbedlewo.pl

Palace in Czerniejewo,photo: Z. Schmidt

Palace interior in Krześlice,photo: Z. Schmidt Manor House in Skrzynki,

photo: Z. Schmidt

Palace in Sapowice, photo: Z. Schmidt

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South East of Poznań – route 1

Rogalin – Brodnica – Jaszkowo – Mechlin

Rogalin

The history of landowners of Ro-galin starts with Kazimierz Raczyński, who bought this enchanting area on the Warta river in 1766. After he assumed the position of the General Governor of Wielkopolska he decided to build a large mansion in Rogalin which later was to become a residence of the Raczyński family. In 1991 the mansion as well as its magnificent collection of paintings was given by Edward Bernard Raczyński to the Raczyński Foundation which he him-self established for the National Museum in Poznań on the centenary of his birth. This eminent diplomat, the Presi-

dent of Poland in Exile, was the last male representative of the Polish line of the Raczyński family. In the northern wing of the palace in Rogalin today we can see the Count’s study which originally was part of his apartment in London where he spent the final 26 years of his life. Edward Raczyński died in London in 1993 (at the age of 102) and in accordance with his will he was bur-ied in the Raczyński family mausoleum in Rogalin. Visitors to Rogalin can admire a gallery of Polish and foreign art, mainly from the late 19th and early 20 century es-tablished by Edward Aleksander Raczyński, as well as a carriage house and the restored yet still unfurnished interior of the main part of the palace. The late Baroque edifice was built during the 1770s, presumably to the design by Jan Fryderyk Knöbel, Dominik Merlini or Jan Christian Kamsetzer. Interestingly, both the front and the rear façades are equally im-pressive. Rogalin is also worth visiting be-cause of the French and English parks sur-rounding the palace – there we can see the monumental oaks named after three broth-ers, Lech, Czech, and Rus, a reference to the legend describing the origins of three Slavic nations.

Palace in RogalinBranch of the National Museum in Poznańul.Arciszewskiego 2, 62-022 Rogalintel. 61 813 80 30, 813 80 54www.mnp.art.pl

Brodnica

Amidst the park in Brodnica we can see a palace whose eclectic architectural style makes a reference to Renaissance forms. It was built in 1890 for Wacław Mańkowski, the owner of the nearby estate. It remained a property of the Mańkowski family until 1939. In the 1990s it was bought from the Agricultural Property Stock of the Treasury by Jerzy Mańkowski, son of the last pre-war

owner of the estate. Since 1999 the restored palace has been home to the owner and his family. Additionally the palace holds guest rooms which can be used by visitors who stop here for a weekend or by participants of conferences or training seminars which are organized here. Souvenirs brought by Jerzy Mańkowski from Africa, where he had lived for over 20 years, add to the specific atmos-phere of the place.

Palace in Brodnica63-112 Brodnicatel. 61 282 37 89, fax 61 282 38 05www.brodnicamansion.com

Jaszkowo

The Riding Centre in Jaszkowo near Śrem, a branch of Ride-Sport-Center a Swedish school of horse-riding, is a large sports and recreation complex with a pic-turesque location along the Warta river; it contains indoors riding areas, obstacle and cross-country courses, and comprises ap-prox. 200 hectares of varied terrain with beautiful old forests. Here, you can learn as well as practise all types of riding on horse-back and on ponies. The riding centre was created in the grounds of a former manor farm adjoin-ing an old mansion, which is also owned by

the Centre. The mansion was erected in the second half of the 19th century, and then expanded during 1912-18 to the design of Stanisław Mieczkowski. During the inter-war period it was owned by Jan Szołdrski. After the war the estate and the buildings were taken over by the Treasury. In 1995 it was purchased by Antoni Chłapowski, who transformed it into the Riding Centre.

Palace in JaszkowoRiding Centre of Antoni ChłapowskiJaszkowo 16, 63-112 Brodnicatel. 61 283 75 56www.palac-jaszkowo.plwww.centrumhipiki.com

Mechlin The manor house in Mechlin near Śrem, was traditionally called “Andrze-jówka” by reference to its owner Andrzej Chwałczyński. It has been a private prop-erty since 1993. Today it houses a hotel and its owners specialize in organizing summer and winter camps for children and teenagers (mainly focusing on horse-riding and ten-nis). In other seasons a school of horse rid-ing operates here and the place hosts train-ing sessions and conferences. The manor house was built in 1814. It was here that in January 1845 Count

Palace interior in Będlewo, photo: Z. Schmidt

Palace in Rogalin,photo: Archive of National Museum in Poznań

Palace in Jaszkowo, photo: Archive of the Economic Union of Śrem Region

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Edward Raczyński, the founder of the Raczyński Library in Poznań, spent the final hours, before taking his life on an island lo-cated on the lake in Zaniemyśl. In 1995, on the 150th anniversary of his death a stone carrying a memorial plaque honouring Ed-ward Raczyński was unveiled near the park which surrounds the mansion

Andrzejówka Manor House in Mechlinul. Śremska 3, Mechlin, 63-100 Śremtel. 61 283 02 97, fax 61 283 01 87www.dworandrzejowka.pl

South Eeast of Poznań - route 2

Kórnik – Koszuty – Miłosław – Śmiełów – Ciążeń – Lisewo

Kórnik

After acquiring the estate of Kórnik in the early 1800s, Tytus Działyński recon-structed the castle to the design by Karl Frie-drich Schinkel, one of the most esteemed ar-chitects at the time; as a result the place was transformed into a comfortable residence which was also designed to hold library col-lections and artefacts related to the national history. The layout of the castle walls retains Gothic and Renaissance features, while its body and facades represent an English neo-

Gothic style. It was also Tytus Działyński who established the park, where he acclima-tized various species of trees and shrubs and this way initiated the famous Kórnik arbo-retum. Jan Działyński continued the work initiated by his father. The Kórnik estate was inherited by Władysław Zamoyski, Jan’s nephew and a grandson of Tytus. In history he is remem-bered primarily as the person who regained for Poland the area of Morskie Oko in the Tatra Mountains. In 1924 he bequeathed his whole estate, including the castle, library and art collections, to the Polish nation. This way Zakłady Kórnickie Foundation was created (it was re-established in 2001). To-day the legacy is in the custody of Kórnik Li-brary of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the castle is open to visitors who can admire its interiors, including the unique Moorish Hall and its collection. The extremely valu-able holdings of the Kórnik Library include old prints and manuscripts, such as rare edi-tions of works by Mikołaj Rej and Jan Ko-Ko-chanowski and manuscripts of Part Three of Dziady by Adam Mickiewicz. At present the Arboretum is ad-ministered by the Institute of Dendrology at the Polish Academy of Sciences. In the times of Tytus Działyński the park, with its trimmed trees and hedges, maintained the

English style, later his son, Jan had it trans-formed into a botanical garden. Today the arboretum comprises an area of approx. 40 ha. Beside numerous native species of trees and shrubs we can see various exotic plants, e.g. from China and Japan.

Castle in KórnikKórnik Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences ul. Zamkowa 5, 62-035 Kórniktel. 61 817 00 81, fax 61 817 19 30www.bkpan.poznan.pl

Koszuty The manor house in Koszuty was presumably built ca. 1760 by Józef Zabłocki. The half-timbered structure with corner an-nexes crowned with bulbous cupolas was built on the foundations of an older, 17th century mansion. It acquired its present form in 1902. Surrounded with a landscaped park, this is one of the most charming places in Wielkopolska. Today the building holds the Środa Region Museum, and its interiors are ap-pointed to represent a typical nobility-style dwelling of the late 19th and early 20th cen-tury.

Środa Region Museum Koszuty 27, 63-000 Środa Wielkopolskatel. 61 285 10 23, www.koszuty.pl

Miłosław

From 1777 Miłosław was owned by the Mielżyński family who rendered great service to Wielkopolska. In the 1840s Seweryn Mielżyński had the palace recon-structed. He designed its interior to hold a collection of Polish and foreign painting, which in 1882 became the core holdings of the Mielżyński Family Museum in Poznań. In 1895 Miłosław was purchased by Józef Kościelski, who expanded the palace and introduced neo-Renaissance alterations to its structure. Kościelski is remembered in Polish history as a patron of the poet Jan Kasprowicz, as well as the person who erected the first Polish monument of Juliusz Słowacki. The statue sculpted by Władysław Marcinkowski was placed in the park in Miłosław, and the ceremony of its unveil-ing, which was a truly memorable event, was held on 16 September 1899, and among its participants was Henryk Sienkiewicz, the great Polish writer. Today the park comprising an area of 37.8 ha is named after the Kościelski fam-ily. This is one of the most beautiful and best

Manor house in Mechlin,photo: Z. Schmidt

Inside the manor house in Mechlin,photo: Z. Schmidt Castle in Kórnik, photo: Archive of Kórnik Library

of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Manor house in Koszuty,photo: Z. Schmidt

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maintained parks in Wielkopolska. Following a fire in 1945, the palace was only rebuilt in the 1960s. Today it holds a lower secondary school.

Juliusz Słowacki Gymnasiumul. Poznańska 1a, 62-320 Miłosławtel. 61 438 20 67

Śmiełów

The Palace in Śmiełów with its horseshoe layout is one of the most impres-sive examples of Classicist architecture in Wielkopolska. It was built in 1797 to the de-sign of an outstanding architect, Stanisław Zawadzki, for Andrzej Gorzeński, the mag-istrate of Poznań municipality. Its structure comprises a two-storey main building, with a monumental Ionic-style portico, and two annexes connected with the palace by semi-circular galleries. Śmiełów is remembered in the his-tory of literature due to the fact that Adam Mickiewicz, the great Polish poet stayed here for three weeks. He arrived here in Au-gust of 1831 in order to get across to Con-gress Poland where the November Uprising

was spreading. His attempts turned out un-successful, but he remained in Wielkopolska for five months. In the late 1800s, thanks to Józef Chełmowski and his wife Maria (née Donimirska) Śmiełów became a centre of the cult of Mickiewicz and it retained this function until 1939. In 1945 the palace was plundered. After the war, until 1970 the building held a primary school. In course of comprehensive renovation works the palace was adapted to hold the Adam Mickiewicz Museum (a branch of the National Museum in Poznań), which opened in 1975. The exhibits on dis-play here are connected with the biography of the iconic poet, and obviously the period from August 1831 to March 1832, which he spent in Wielkopolska is significantly em-phasized. On the first floor we can admire furnished palace interiors.

Palace in Śmiełów Adam Mickiewicz Museum Branch of the National Museum in Poznań63-210 Żerkówtel. 62 740 31 64fax 62 740 31 64www.mnp.art.pl

Ciążeń

For 600 years Ciążeń was a sum-mer residence for the Bishops of Poznań. The palace which we can see here today was commissioned by Bishop Teodor Czarto-ryski and erected during 1760-1768, pre-sumably to the design by Józef Sacco. Pic-turesquely located on the Warta river and surrounded with a large park, the building holds a Centre of Creative Work of Adam Mickiewicz University and a branch of the University Library. Its holdings include the largest Polish collection of Masonic materi-als, which also ranks among the largest col-lections of this type in Europe. The materials were brought to Wielkopolska from Sława Śląska where they were found in 1945 in the course of works aimed at collecting and se-curing printed materials left behind in the areas which became western territories of Poland. The collection, today comprising nearly 100,000 volumes, is successively sup-plemented with Polish documents.

Palace in CiążeńCentre for Creative Workof Adam Mickiewicz Universityul. Wolności 33, 62-404 Ciążeńtel./fax 63 276 41 55www.amu.edu.pl

Lisewo

Replacing an earlier structure, the palace in Lisewo was erected in the mid-1800s. Its interesting silhouette consists of skilfully arranged segments, which differ from one another while retaining the same style. In 1945 the palace was acquired by the Treasury. After the war it was used for hous-ing purposes and held a school. After a fire in 1988 the old building was left unoccupied for a long time. In 2002 it was purchased by a private company, which restored the palace and transformed it into an elegant motel.

Palace in Lisewo Lisewo, 62-560 Skulsktel. 63 268 21 14www.palacyklisewo.pl

South of Poznań

Szczepowice – Racot – Turew – Mełpin

Szczepowice

The neo-classicist palace in Szcze-Szcze-powice was built in the late 19th/ early 20th century for the Forstman family, which had owned Szczepowice from 1879. In 1945 the local estate was nationalized and was ac-quired by a State Agricultural Farm. The palace became a privately owned property in 1996. Following compre-hensive renovation and conservation works the building was adapted to hold a confer-ence and training centre as well as a hotel.

Palace in SzczepowiceConference and Leisure CentreSzczepowice 14, 64-060 Wolkowotel./fax 61 443 17 23, 602 366 301www.szczepowice.com.pl

Palace in Śmiełów,photo: Archive of the Town Office in Żerków

Palace in Lisewo,photo: Archive of the Palace in Lisewo

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Racot

The palace in Racot was built in 1780-90 for Duke Antoni Barnaba Jabłonowski, the Voivode of Poznań by Dominik Merlini, who also designed Łazienki Palace in Warsaw. The front façade of the two-storey building is embellished with a portico of four columns. In 1902 the palace was expanded northward to include another wing. The interiors feature beautiful stucco and painted decorations. In 1798 Racot was sold to Wilhelm, Prince of Orange, later King of the Nether-lands, and in 1878 it was inherited by the dukes of Weimar who owned it until 1919. After the First World War Racot was ac-quired by the Treasury and was designated to hold a residence of the President of the Polish Republic. Since 1928 the estate has held a renowned state owned Stud Farm. To-day, in the palace there are hotel rooms and a conference centre. The palace complex also includes two annex buildings (from the 18th centu-ry), stables and a carriage house (from the late 18th/early 19th century) where you can see an exposition of over 30 historical sleighs and carriages used for leisure, sporting and formal events. Behind the palace there is an 11-hectare landscape park, originally de-signed in the French style.

Palace in Racotul.Dworcowa 5, 64-005 Kościantel. 65 511 79 58, fax 65 511 79 59www.racot.pl

Turew

The palace in Turew was built in the late 18th century by Stanisław Chłapowski, who was the grandfather of General Dezy-dery Chłapowski, the best known owner of Turew – a Napoleonic soldier who later took part in the November Uprising. Upon his return from England in 1819 Dezydery Chłapowskir reconstructed the late Baroque building altering it in accordance with neo-Gothic trends. This is when he also intro-duced major changes in the family estate. A pioneer of the Positivist ideas of organic work, he made a name for himself as an out-standing landowner who introduced mod-ern methods and technological innovations to his farming estate. The new agricultural landscape, created by him in the first half of the 19th century, unique not only in Po-land but also in Europe, today is protected within a landscaped reserve named after him. The palace formerly owned by Gen-eral Chłapowski today holds the Research Station of the Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment of the Polish Academy

of Sciences. Two rooms on the first floor, the parlour and the library, are open to visitors. The palace is surrounded by an English park.

Research Station of the Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment of the Polish Academy of Sciences ul. Szkolna 4, Turew, 64-000 Kościantel. 65 513 42 53, 513 42 34www.turew-pan.republika.plthe palace can be visited only by prior arrangement

Mełpin

An epitome of Polish style, the manor house in Mełpin was erected in 1908. The single-storey building features a balcony supported by four columns as well as semi-circular windows. It is covered with a man-sard roof. The manor house has been care-fully restored by Kajetan Pyrzyński who purchased it many years ago. He offers hos-pitable accommodation for tourists looking for peaceful and quiet leisure time. Visitors can stay either in the manor house or in an

old gardener’s cottage in the park.

Manor House in MełpinMełpin 53, 63-140 Dolsktel./fax 61 283 07 18, 281 82 76

West of Poznań - route 1

Komorowo – Baborówko – Szamotuły – Kobylniki – Obrzycko – Białokosz –

Sieraków

Komorowo

In this large old mansion located on the northern shore of Lake Bytyńskie, today there is a hotel as well as a conference and leisure centre. The interior of the man-sion retains its original layout which has been adapted to the new purpose. The man-sion is surrounded with a large old park.

Mansion in Komorowoul. Dworkowa 1, Komorowo64-530 Kaźmierztel. 61 624 63 24, 604 428 131www.dworkomorowo.com.pl

Palace interior in Racot,photo: Z. Schmidt

Palace in Szczepowice,photo: Z. Schmidt

Palace in Turew, photo: Z. Schmidt

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Baborówko

The neo-Renaissance palace in Baborówko was erected in 1890 for the von Hanletman family and it remained a Ger-man property until the end of World War II. Afterwards it was acquired by the Treasury. In 1993 it was transformed into a tourist facility with hotel rooms, conference and banquet halls as well as a horse-riding centre (there are stables, indoor riding areas and sports race tracks). The hotel rooms are located in the palace, in the farm buildings as well as an annex building. The palace is surrounded by a 7 hectare park.

Palace in Baborówkoul. Parkowa 1, Baborówko, 64-500 Szamotułytel./fax 61 291 40 27, www.babrowko.pl

Szamotuły

A fortified castle was built here in the mid-15th century by the Szamotul-ski family. In 1511 it was acquired by the Górka family who owned it until the end of the 16th century. They expanded the castle transforming it into a grand late-Gothic res-idence. The only remnants of the old forti-

fied establishment are parts of the moat, em-bankments and Halszka’s Tower dating from the first half of the 15th century. Recon-structed in the 17th century, the castle only regained its original Gothic appearance in the second half of the 20th century follow-ing comprehensive restoration works. Today it houses the Museum of Górka Family Cas-tle with its exposition depicting a typical old aristocratic abode. Two rooms – a Gothic cellar and a hall on the ground floor contain a display of the most valuable examples rep-resenting the collection of over 1,000 icons in the Museum’s holdings. The western annex building holds an ethnographic exhibition, and in the 18th century granary we can see periodical ex-hibitions as well as artefacts unearthed by archaeologists in the course of construction works for the Yamal gas pipeline. Dated to the first half of the 1400s, the tower is the oldest remnant of the Górka family residence. It has a rectangular lay-out, three floors and is covered with a tall hip roof. Originally designed as a defensive gate tower, it was later adjusted for hous-ing purposes. Its name makes a reference to the beautiful, yet unfortunate Halszka

from Ostroróg who was imprisoned here by her husband, Łukasz Górka, the Voivode of Poznań. Today it contains rooms with exhi-bitions devoted to the history of Szamotuły.

Górka Family Castle in Szamotułyul. Wroniecka 30, 64-500 Szamotułytel. 61 292 18 13, fax 61 292 57 16www.zamek.org.pl

Kobylniki

The palace in Kobylniki was erect-ed by Zygmunt Gorgolewski in 1888 for Tadeusz Twardowski. Its grandeur was to emphasize the position of the estate owner. A plenitude of features such as asymmetries, arches, loggias, turrets and spires contribute to its style resembling a fairytale castle. Kobylniki remained a property of the Twardowski family until 1939. After the war the palace was acquired by the State Agricultural Farm in Gałowo which had its offices here and used it for housing pur-poses. In the 1980s comprehensive renova-tion works were initiated and the palace was transformed into a hotel, which opened in 1990.

Palace in KobylnikiKobylniki, 64-520 Obrzyckotel./fax 61 291 35 49, www.kobylniki.pl

Obrzycko

Obrzycko was owned by the Raczyński family from 1738 to 1945. The neo-Baroque palace with a square tower in one of its corners was erected for Karol Raczyński, son of Atanazy in the second half of the 19th century. Following his will in 1899 the place was inherited by the line of the Raczyński family residing in Courland. During 1906-10, the subsequent owner of Obrzycko, Zygmunt Edward Raczyński re-constructed the palace in an eclectic style. However, it is his youngest son, Józef who rendered the greatest service to Polish cul-

Palace in Baborówko,photo: Archive of the Palace in Baborówko

Castle of Górka family in Szamotuły, photo: Archive of the City and Commune Office in Szamotuły

Castle of Górka family in Szamotuły, photo: Archive of the City and Commune Office in Szamotuły

Palace in Kobylniki,photo: Z. Schmidt

WojewództwoPomorskie

WojewództwoZachodniopomorskie

WojewództwoLubuskie

WojewództwoOpolskie

WojewództwoKujawsko-Pomorskie

WojewództwoPomorskie

WojewództwoZachodniopomorskie

WojewództwoLubuskie

WojewództwoOpolskie

WojewództwoKujawsko-Pomorskie

GRABÓWNO

PIETRONKI

OBJEZIERZE GNIEZNO

KALISZ

LESZNO

SAPOWICE SKRZYNKI

JANKOWICE CZERNIEJEWO

PODSTOLICE

KONIN

PRZYBYSZEWO

TRZEBINYROKOSOWO

RYDZYNA

ROGALIN

MIECHLIN

BRODNICAJASZKOWO

ROUTE:

AROUND KALISZ

AROUND LESZNO

OSTRÓWWLKP.

GNIEZNO

KALISZ

LESZNO RUSSÓWDOBRZYCA

LEWKÓW

ANTONIN

KONINWOLSZTYN

SIERAKÓWOBRZYCKO

KOBYLNIKI

BABORÓWKOKOMOROWO

SZCZEPOWICE

RACOTTUREW

LISEWO

KOSZUTYKÓRNIK

OSTRÓWWLKP.

1918

ture. A doctor of history of art, he organized and provided binding for the archival mate-rials connected with the collection of Atan-azy Raczyński; yet he is mainly remembered in history as the one who, taking advantage of his German origins, saved the oldest part of the Raczyński Family Library in Poznań during World War II. Today the palace in Obrzycko is owned by Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and holds a conference centre and a house of creative work.

Palace in ObrzyckoHouse of Creative Work and Leisure Centre of Adam Mickiewicz Universityul. Zamkowa 27, 64-520 Obrzyckotel./fax 61 291 32 80www.amu.edu.pl

Białokosz

In 1796 Białokosz was owned by Sisters of St. Catherine, and in accordance with regulations on repossession of church

estates, it was acquired by the Prussian au-thorities. Then in 1798 it became the prop-erty of Christian von Massenbach. His de-scendants retained Białokosz until 1902, when the estate was purchased by Karol von Rosse. The formerly one-storey palace was expanded by him in 1905. After WWII the palace in Białokosz was acquired by the Treasury. In the 1980s it again became a pri-vately owned property. Following restora-tion works, a hotel opened here.

Palace in BiałokoszBiałokosz 16, 64-412 Chrzypsko Wielkietel./fax 61 295 13 47www.bialokosz.pl

Sieraków

The most prosperous period in the history of Sieraków was in the 17th century when the town was owned by the Opaliński family. This is when they built the church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed

Virgin Mary, one of the most interesting late Renaissance edifices in Poland. They also re-constructed and added Renaissance features to the existing castle. Unfortunately, one hundred years later the gradually deteriorating castle was partly dismantled. The only remnants of its original structure are cellars which once were beneath a part of the building. Only in 1993-95 did the Voivodeship Office in Poznań have that wing of the castle recon-structed. Today it houses the Opaliński Museum, where we can see five carefully restored 17th century sarcophagi originally placed in the vaults of the church of the Im-maculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and containing the ashes of Opaliński family members. The castle museum also holds an exposition depicting the history of the Opaliński family, its castle, and Sieraków as well as presenting the wildlife of Siera-kowski Landscape Reserve.

Opaliński Family Castle in Sierakówul. Stadnina 3, 64-410 Sierakówtel. 61 295 23 92www.muzeum.sierakow.pl

South West of Poznań

Wąsowo – Porażyn – Wolsztyn

Wąsowo

The Baroque and Classicist palace of the Sczaniecki family dating from the late 18th century as well as the stately residence from the 19th century today are both private property. They were thoroughly restored and transformed into an elegant hotel. The mansion in Wąsowo is still surrounded with a large English-style park. In fact the Sczaniecki family pal-ace looks quite modest in comparison with the other edifice, whose architecture makes

Palace in Białokosz, photo: Z. Schmidt

Museum - Opaliński Family Castle in Sieraków, photo: Archive of the Town Office in Sieraków

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a reference to mediaeval castles. Designed by Gustaw Erdmann, a German architect, it was erected in 1870-72 for Richard von Hardt, a banker from Berlin. Its subsequent owner Wilhelm von Hardt reconstructed it adding neo-Gothic features. Wąsowo re-mained a property of von Hardt family until World War II. Palace and Park Complex in Wąsowoul. Parkowa 1, 64-314 Wąsowotel. 61 447 26 13fax 61 447 26 19www.wasowo.pl

Porażyn

The palace in Porażyn called Eichenhorst, which means “a nest of oaks”, was erected in 1882 for the owner of the lo-cal estate, Franz Heinrich von Beyme. It was designed by two architects from Berlin - Herman von der Hude and Julius Hennicke. In 1920 the entire estate comprising the palace, farming buildings, park, garden and the villages of Sielinko, Porażyn and Teres-potockie was acquired by General Kazimierz Sosnkowski. Since WWII the palace has been in the custody of foresters. The local college of forestry in 1993 was relocated to the school of forestry in Goraj, and the facilities previ-ously owned by the college were acquired

by the Grodzisk Forest District, which then transformed the palace into a hotel and a Training and Leisure Centre.

Palace in PorażynTraining and Leisure CentrePorażyn, 64-330 Opalenicatel. 61 441 15 15, fax 61 447 72 44

Wolsztyn

In the town’s northern suburb, called Komorowo, on the shore of Lake Wolsztyńskie we can see a park with old trees; amidst these there is a palace built in 1911 on the location of an older build-ing from 1845, and in fact making use of the existing walls. Burnt down in 1945, the building was reconstructed in the 1960s, and today houses a hotel and Spa & Well-ness centre. The palace was designed by Roger Sławski in the so-called “national style” for Stefan Mycielski who at the time owned Wolsztyn. The simple body of the palace fea-tures a large portico of six columns, which is crowned with a triangular pediment holding the Dołęga coat of arms - the Mycielski fam-ily were its bearers. The palace is surrounded with an English-style park.

Palace in Wolsztynul. Drzymały 4, 64-200 Wolsztyntel. 68 384 27 46www.palacwolsztyn.com.pl

North of Poznań

Objezierze – Margońska Wieś – Pietronki – Grabówno

Objezierze

The Classicist palace in Objezierze near Oborniki was built during 1786-92 by a renowned architect Antoni Hoehne, for Aniela Węgorzewska (née Kwilecka). It was a two-storey villa-type palace with a porti-co of four columns, and it was surrounded with a romantic park. In order to expand the building, in 1840 its subsequent owners Helena (née Kwilecka) and Wincenty Turno added another floor; later in 1905-06 addi-tional sections were added on both sides. The palace in Objezierze hosted visits of eminent guests. For instance in 1804 Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz paid a visit, then Stefan Garczyński and Adam Mickiewicz stayed here in December 1831, and Win-centy Pol was a guest in late spring of 1832. In 1839 and 1844 Narcyza Żmichowska spent a few months in Objezierze. In 1858 Władysław Syrokomla paid a visit, and on 30 May 1867 the subsequent master of Objezie-Objezie-rze, Hipoli Turno held a reception in honour of Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. Today we can see here memorial

Castle in Wąsowo, photo: Archive of the castle inWąsowo

Palace in Porażyn,photo: Z. Schmidt Palace in Wolsztyn,

photo: Archive of the Town Office in Wolsztyn

Palace in Objezierze,photo: Z. Schmidt

Entrance of the palce in Porażyn,photo: Z. Schmidt

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plaques commemorating the visits paid by two great representatives of Polish litera-ture - Adam Mickiewicz and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. The palace holds a school.

Palace in ObjezierzeObjezierze, 64-600 Obornikitel. 61 296 62 76www.zs.objezierze.pl

Margońska Wieś

Located 2 km east of Margonin, in Chodzież District, Margońska Wieś is famous for its 19th century palace which emerged as a result of the reconstruction of an 18th century manor house. The neo-Gothic structure dates from 1842-1853, yet its massive, round tower was significantly expanded in the 20th century. Margońska Wieś was owned by the Skórzewski family in the 1700s and until 1837. This is when it gained its place in his-tory, resulting from the fact that on 17 Oc-tober 1773 it witnessed the wedding of Józef Wybicki, the author of the Polish national anthem, and Kunegunda Drwęska, a niece

of Franciszek Skórzewski (in fact the latter died one month before the wedding). The Skórzewski family manor house is no longer there. During 1842-53 it was transformed into a palace for Carl von Schwichow by Friedrich August Stüller. Dur-ing the interwar period it was owned by the Treasury. Today the fact that Józef Wybicki had links with this place is commemorated by an exhibition room devoted to the man who wrote words for the Polish anthem. From the beginning of the 20th century the palace was administered by for-esters. In the past it was a seat of the Royal School of Forestry, and today it holds a For-estry Centre, with conference facilities and hotel rooms. The building is surrounded by an 18th century park, where we can see monumental larches, spruces and Canadian firs.

Palace in Margonin Witold Łuczkiewicz Forestry Centreul. Kościuszki 47, 64-830 Margonintel./fax 67 283 51 11www.lasy.gov.pl

Pietronki

The eclectic palace which today can be seen in Pietronki near Chodzież was built in the early 20th century by Count Ignacy Bniński and his wife Helena (née Wodzińska). In fact they thoroughly recon-structed a villa-type palace, which had been there for 50 years, transforming it into an eclectic-style residence with imposing por-ticos and a balustrade crowing the façades. The new owners made additions to the park, e.g. they planted new trees, built a swim-ming pool and set up an orangery. The Bniński family owned Pie-tronki until 1939. Today the palace, leased by a private owner, holds a hotel and restau-rant.

Palace in PietronkiTraining CentrePietronki 3, 64-800 Chodzieżtel. 67 283 56 78, www.pietronki.eu

Grabówno

In history Grabówno is remem-bered mainly as the place in which Michał Drzymała spent the last 10 years of his life. This peasant from Podgradowice (today called Drzymałowo, near Rakoniewice) be-came famous because of his resistance to Prussian authorities; for that in 1928 he was awarded with farming land in Grabówno by the Polish authorities. Today his descend-ants continue to manage the estate. The local 19th century manor house holds a hotel and restaurant, as well as an art gallery. The one-storey building is sur-rounded by a park, in which we can see nu-merous 110-130 year old specimens of small leaved lime, Canadian hemlock, Douglas-fir. Manor house in GrabównoGrabówno 36, 89-350 Miasteczko Krajeńskietel. 67 287 41 28, www.dworek-koper.pl

Palace in Margonin,photo: Z. Schmidt

Ball room of the castle in Rydzyna,photo: Z. Moliński

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Around Leszno

Rydzyna – Pakosław – Gębice – Rokosowo – Pawłowice – Witosław – Włoszakowice

– Trzebiny – Przybyszewo

Rydzyna

The castle in Rydzyna ranks among the most magnificent aristocratic residences in Poland. Using the foundations and walls of a medieval castle Rafał Leszczyński, who bought Rydzyna in the final years of the 17th century, erected a Baroque mansion follow-ing the design of the royal architect Józef Szymon Belotti. Its present form is a result of alteration works carried out three times during the 18th century. The Leszczyński family retained the ownership of the castle until 1738, when their estates in Wielkopolska were purchased by Aleksander Józef Sułkowski, a minister at the court of King August Mocny. Commis-sioned by him, Karol Martin Frantz, an ar-chitect from Silesia made some alterations to the castle, e.g. he added a monumental and elegant staircase. The magnificent ball room with 22 monumental columns received its fi-nal form during subsequent reconstruction works, commissioned by August Sułkowski, and conducted by Ignacy Graff. In 1775 August Sułkowski an-nounced the last entailed family property

established in Poland, making a note that after his family dies out its estates will be ac-quired by the Commission of National Edu-cation, of which he was one of the co-found-ers. However, in 1909, after Antoni, the last member of the family died, the estate of Ry-dzyna was taken over by the Prussian Set-tlement Commission. Then in the 1920s in accordance with August Sułkowski’s will the place was designated to hold a Boy’s Gym-nasium named after the Sułkowski Family, which was famous for its high educational standards. Today the castle in Rydzyna, locat-ed on an artificial island surrounded with by moat, is a training centre with a hotel and restaurant, and the whole complex is admin-istered by the Polish Society of Mechanical Engineers and Technicians.

Castle in Rydzynapl. Zamkowy 1, 64-130 Rydzynatel./fax 65 529 50 40 (switchboard)tel. 65 529 50 26 (reception desk)www.zamek-rydzyna.com.pl

Pakosław

The palace in Pakosław (Rawicz District) was erected after 1791 for the Krzyżanowski family, presumably to the de-

sign by Carl Gotthard Langhans. The edi-fice stands out among buildings of this kind in Wielkopolska for its uniquely arranged portico, which on both sides has walls with windows. The most impressive feature in its interior is the monumental, two-storey hall of columns. Inside a free-standing colon-nade supports a gallery lined with a deco-rative balustrade. Between the columns we can see bas-reliefs inspired by the series of “Images of Polish History in One Hundred Drawings” by Franciszek Smuglewicz – these were commissioned by the owner of Pakosław, Michał Krzyżanowski, a member of the Four-Year Parliament. Out of the four originally existing bas-reliefs we can still see three images: Prince Mieszko I destroy-ing statues of pagan gods, King Bolesław Chrobry digging border poles on the Elbe river, and King Mieszko II receiving homage paid by Pomeranians. The palace in Pakosław, which to-day holds a hotel, is surrounded by a land-scaped park from the late 18th century. Palace in Pakosławul. Parkowa 14, 63-920 Pakosławtel./fax 65 547 86 70, tel. 695 297 570www.pakoslaw.com.pl

Gębice

Today a privately owned hotel with conference facilities, the palace in Gębice was built in the early 19th century for Hieronim Gorzeński. Its front façade is embellished with an impressive portico of four columns crowned with a triangular tympanum with panoplies and the Nałęcz coat of arms (the Gorzeński family were its bearers). From 1883 Gębice was a property of the Mycielski family. Its last owners be-fore WWII were Zofia (née Mycielska) and Stanisław Rostworowski, adjutant to Gener-al Władysław Sikorski, as well as a member of the commanding authorities in the Home Army. Arrested in Kraków by the Gestapo, he was murdered in 1944. In 2002 a memo-rial plaque honouring General Stanisław Rostworowski was unveiled on the wall of the palace in Gębice.

Palace in GębiceGębice 35, 63-830 Pępowotel./fax 65 573 61 50, www.palac-gebice.pl

Rokosowo The palace in Rokosowo near Lesz-no, due to its appearance sometimes called a castle, is a remarkable example of residential

Castle in Rydzyna,photo: Z. Moliński

Annex buildings of the palace in Pawłowice,photo: Archive of Leszno-Region Tourist Organization Palace in Gębice,

photo: Z. Schmidt

Castle interior in Rokosowo,photo: Z. Schmidt

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building illustrating architectural trends of the mid-1800s. Designed in a truly medieval style by Fryderyk August Stüller, the palace was built for Count Józef Mycielski in 1847. Even today it continues to make a great impression, not only with the three-storey body of the castle but also the massive tow-ers flanking its sides. In 1867 Rokosowo was acquired by the Czartoryski family who remained its owners until the outbreak of WWII. Today the castle surrounded by a beautiful, 10-hec-tare park is home to the Centre for Europe-an Integration of the Marshal Office of the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, and the place also holds various conferences and special events. The castle hotel is suitable for the needs of disabled persons.

Rokosowo CastleCentre for European IntegrationRokosowo, 63-805 Łęka Małatel. 65 573 33 08, 573 11 56tel./fax 65 573 33 04, www.rokosowo.pl

Pawłowice

It was said that, as appropriate for one of such great fortune, Maksymilian An-toni Mielżyński, the royal scribe and cham-berlain of King Stanisław August, treated himself with a truly royal residence in Pawłowice. It was designed by Carl Gothard

Langhans (his works include the Branden-burg Gate in Berlin), while its interiors were created by Johann Christian Kamsetzer (who also contributed to designing Łazienki Palace in Warsaw). Surrounded by a park, the classicist complex in Pawłowice consists of the palace and two annex buildings connected by semi-circular galleries. The three-storey palace has a rectangular floor plan. The front façade with avant-corps on both sides, in its cen-tral part features a portico of four columns crowned with four allegorical female figures. Inside the palace the most beauti-ful room is the two-storey ballroom with intricate stucco ornaments; it is sometimes referred to as a hall of columns because of 24 marble-coated pillars standing along its walls. Pawłowice remained the property of the Mielżyński family from the mid-17th century until 1939. Today the palace is home to the Institute of Zootechnics – the Nation-al Research Institute, and the annex build-ings have been transformed into a hotel.

Palace in PawłowiceInstitute of Zootechnics – the National Research InstituteExperiment Facility - Pawłowice 64-122 Pawłowicetel. 65 529 91 92, fax 65 529 94 64www.zzdpawlowice.pl

Witosław

The eclectic palace in Witosław near Osieczna was built in the late 19th and early 20th century. It is covered with a half-hip roof, in its southern part there is a low tower and it features a decorative neo-Baroque gable. Today the palace is a part of a centre providing treatment with honey and herbs. Apifitotherapy makes use of the healing properties of substances produced by bees and herbal materials. In Witosław honey combined with fruit and vegetable juices are applied for therapeutic purposes; additionally bee venom is used for its ben-eficial effects. The palace has good recreation, re-habilitation as well as conference facilities; one can also come here just to relax.

Palace in WitosławApifitotherapy CentreWitosław, 64-113 Osiecznatel. 65 535 05 96, fax 65 535 93 22www.apiherba.pl

Włoszakowice

The late Baroque hunters’ palace in Włoszakowice was built in the mid-17th cen-tury for Duke Aleksander Józef Sułkowski, the owner of Rydzyna, presumably by Karl Martin Frantz. The complex has the lay-out

of an equilateral triangle with concave cor-ners and is located on an artificial island sur-rounded by a moat. On top of the tall cellars and ground floor there is also a triangular first floor whose size is significantly receding in comparison with the lower part. The unusual shape of the palace and its interiors is attributed to the links which Aleksander Józef Sułkowski had with free-masonry. The pattern of a triangular trowel is a symbol of freemasonry, and Sułkowski was one of the first Polish masons. Today the palace is home to the Commune Office. One of the annex build-ings holds the Regional Exhibition Room with an ethnographic collection and an ex-position devoted to Karol Kurpiński, a com-poser who wrote the patriotic song „War-szawianka”; he was born in Włoszakowice in 1785, in the family of a local organist. In the impressive park adjoining the palace we can see a large plane tree with a girth of 800 cm, one of the biggest in Poland.

Włoszakowice Commune Officeul. Kurpińskiego 29, 64-140 Włoszakowicetel. 65 525 29 99, fax 65 537 01 06www.wloszakowice.pl

Trzebiny

The Baroque residence in Trzebiny which was built for Melchior and Krystyna Gurowski is dated to ca. 1690. The palace is a two-storey building with a rectangular floor plan, and three-storey annexes in its four corners. All four façades of the palace are identical and consist of seven sections. Following WWII the palace, van-dalized by local residents, gradually deterio-rated. It was only restored in the mid 1980s. At present it is home to the Local Division of the National Heritage Board of Poland. The facility also holds exhibitions and conferences. Additionally there are a few hotel rooms in the palace. In the sur-rounding area we can see a park in which the original regular layout was partly restored.

Ceiling of the ball room in the palace in Pawłowice,photo: Archive of Leszno-Region Tourist Organization

Palace in Włoszakowice,photo: Z. Schmidt

Palace in Przybyszewo,photo: Z. Schmidt

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Palace in TrzebinyLocal Division of the National Heritage BoardTrzebiny, 64-100 Lesznotel. 65 533 03 47www.nid.pl

Przybyszewo The eclectic palace was built by Hu-gon Lehmann, the owner of Przybyszewo, in the late 19th century, or possibly as late as 1910. The two-storey edifice is covered with a mansard roof. On its southern side we can see a four-storey tower and an arcaded driveway in front of it. The garden façade features a terrace. The palace is surrounded by a park, whose origins go back to the mid 18th century. After WWII the estate along with the palace was acquired by the Treasury. Over the years it was used by a number of institutions and companies, and for some time it remained empty. In 1994 it was purchased by the School of Marketing and Management in Leszno which restored it and opened a conference centre here.

Palace in Przybyszewoul. Wiejska 12, Przybyszewo, 64-100 Lesznotel./fax 65 526 99 59, 526 99 51www.palacprzybyszewo.com.pl

Around Kalisz

Russów – Gołuchów – Dobrzyca – Lewków – Antonin

Russów

It was in Russów near Kalisz that Maria Dąbrowska, the renowned Polish writer, was born on 6 October 1889. Here she spent her childhood and youth. When after her death in 1965 the local authorities of Kalisz decided to open a museum devot-ed to her they had to reconstruct the man-sion from scratch. This was because since WWII it had been occupied by a primary school and later used for housing purposes and as a result it had deteriorated so much that it could not be simply restored. It was rebuilt in 1971. The mansion was appointed with typical period furniture; additionally some artefacts related to the writer connected with her life in Warsaw, as well as some pho-tographs were placed here along with manu-scripts of her novels: „Noce i dnie”, „Uśmiech dzieciństwa” and „Ludzie stamtąd”. The manor park holds a small open air exposition of rural architecture typical for the Kalisz region.

Maria Dąbrowska Mansion in Russów62-817 Żelazków tel 62 769 12 65, www.muzeum.kalisz.pl

Gołuchów

The castle in Gołuchów, represent-ing the style of French Renaissance, was cre-ated during 1875-85 to the design by Mau-rycy Ouradou and Zygmunt Gorgolewski. Even though Gołuchów had been owned by the Działyński family from the mid-19th century its comprehensive reconstruction to the design by Eugene Viollet le Duc, an outstanding French architect famous for his restoration works, was initiated only after 1871 when the local estate was acquired by Izabella (née Czartoryska) Działyńska, wife of Jan Działyński. Reconstruction and interior de-sign of the castle were her life-long passion. In addition to transforming the place into a museum holding the collections which she kept in Paris, she wanted to create in Gołuchów, what she called “her earthly paradise”. And this way the original struc-ture of a 16th century castle gave rise to a masterpiece today recognized as one of the most interesting examples of historicism in Europe. And because the whole project was modelled after the castles of the Loire Valley

a variety of original historical artefacts were incorporated into the interiors; these were bought by Izabella and her plenipotentiaries in antique shops throughout Europe. Since 1951 the castle has been a branch of the National Museum in Poznań. It is surrounded by a beautiful landscaped park, comprising an area of over 162 ha. It was established by Izabella and Jan Działyński, and we can see here about 500 species of trees and shrubs, including many exotic plants. There are approximately 40 monuments of nature, mainly oaks with a girth up to 490 cm. On the other hand an old annex building, carriage house, sheep house and stable located in the area of the park called Dybul holds expositions of the only Polish Museum of Forestry, which along with the park, and the Exemplary Animal Pen with wisents, pony horses, fallow deer and wild boars constitutes the Forest Culture Centre

Inside the mansion in Russów,photo: Z. Schmidt

Castle in Gołuchów,photo: Archive of the Commune Office in Gołuchów,T. Marcinkowski

Palace in Dobrzyca,photo: Archive of the Town Hall in Dobrzyca

Castle in Gołuchów, photo: Archive of the Commune Office in Gołuchów,T. Marcinkowski

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which operates within the Gołuchów com-plex.

Castle in Gołuchów63-322 Gołuchów tel. 62 761 50 94, fax 62 761 50 94 www.mnp.art.pl

Dobrzyca The palace and park complex in Dobrzyca was established during 1795-1800 for Augustyn Gorzeński, a general, adjutant and the head of the chancellery of King Stanisław August Poniatowski. It was designed by Stanisław Zawadzki, a leading architect of the classicist period. Although the shape of the palace was determined by the remnants of a 16th century castle, in the layout of the complex we can clearly see a reference to the Masonic Square (Augustyn Gorzeński was connected with freemason-ry). The palace consists of two wings posi-tioned at a right angle to each other, and the

corner created this way contains a portico of four columns crowned with a triangular pediment. The park in Dobrzyca makes a great impression with its garden-style archi-tecture such as a monopteros on an island, a pantheon and a cave, as well as an annex building adjoining the palace. We can see here several monuments of nature, includ-ing one of Europe’s largest plane trees with a girth of 960 cm. In 2004 long time restoration works were completed in the palace; in the course of the conservation works the classicist poly-chromes (by Antoni Smuglewicz and Robert Stankiewicz) dating from the late 18th and early 19th century were revived in all the stately halls and residential rooms.

Museum of Landed Gentry Palace and Park Complex in Dobrzycaul. Pleszewska 5a, 63-330 Dobrzycatel. 62 741 30 39, fax 62 741 34 86www.dobrzyca-muzeum.pl

Lewków

The classicist palace in Lewków, attributed to Jan Christian Kamsetzer, was built in 1791 for General Wojciech Lipski, adjutant of King Stanisław August. The two-storey building has a rectangular floor plan, a portico of four columns in the northern façade and a semicircular avant-corps in the southern, garden façade. In front of the por-tico there are stairs, and in the tympanum over the entrance there is an inscription “For us, ours, friends and descendents”. The walls of the palace are richly ornamented. Equally impressive is the palace in-terior, we can see here a round two-storey parlour covered with a flattened dome and a few rooms – all of these embellished with in-tricate stucco and painted decorations from ca. 1800, attributed to Antoni Smuglewicz. Today the building holds a museum of palace-style interiors. Artefacts on display here come from the District Museum of Ka-lisz Region. The palace is surrounded by a landscaped park with ponds and an island.

Palace and Park Complex in Lewkówul. Kwiatkowska 6cLewków, 63-410 Ostrów Wielkopolski tel. 62 733 87 92, www.muzeum.kalisz.pl

Antonin

The charming hunters’ palace in Antonin was built in 1822-24 for Duke An-toni Radziwiłł by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, an outstanding architect from Berlin. The four-storey building with a unique floor plan re-sembling a Greek cross was mainly built of larch wood. The most amazing feature is the main hall which is three-storeys high and its decorative ceiling is supported on one “chimney” column. The balconies surround-ing the palace interior on the first and sec-ond floor lead directly to rooms. The palace is surrounded by a land-scaped park in which we can see the Swiss-style house of Wilhelm, Duke Antoni’s son,

Hunters’ Palace in Antonin,photo: K. Piechocki

Palace interior in Antonin,photo: Z.Schmidt

as well as the Radziwiłł family mausoleum-chapel. Fryderyk Chopin was hosted by the Radziwiłł family in Antonin on two oc-casions in 1827 and 1829; to honour the memory of his visits Antonin annually holds the festival entitled “Chopin in the colours of autumn”. The palace also witnessed visits of the German Prince Wilhelm, later Em-peror Wilhelm I, who was madly in love with young Eliza, Duke Antoni’s daughter. Yet, Prussian political elites hampered their marriage. Antonin was owned by the Radziwiłł family until 1939. Restored during 1974-78 today it holds a culture centre and home of creative work. In 1993 the palace in Antonin was honoured with a prestigious award „Europa Nostra”.

Radziwiłł Hunters’ Palace in Antoninul. Pałacowa 1, 63-422 Antonintel. 62 734 83 00/02, fax 62 734 83 01www.ckis.kalisz.pl

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Publisher: Wielkopolska Tourist Organizationul. 27 Grudnia 17/19, 61-737 Poznań

Text: Anna PlenzlerTranslation: Timothy Downey

Graphic design: Agencja Fotograficzna Studio-F, www.olszewskiphoto.plCover photos: Archive of the Commune Office in Gołuchów, T. Marcinkowski, Z. Schmidt

ISBN: 978-83-61454-51-9Poznań 2012

Tourist Information

Poznań61-772 Poznań, Stary Rynek 59/60tel. 61 852 61 56, 61 855 33 79it@cim.poznan.pl

Entrance, ul.27 Grudnia61-816 Poznań, ul. Ratajczaka 44 tel. 61 851 96 45, 61 856 04 54 centrum@cim.poznan.pl

Poznań International Fair60-734 Poznań, ul. Głogowska 14tel. 61 869 20 84centrum@cim.poznan.pl

Airport Poznań-Ławica60-189 Poznań, ul. Bukowska 285tel. 61 849 21 40lawica@cim.poznan.pl

Poznań Railway Station60-801 Poznań, ul. Dworcowa 1tel. 61 866 06 67info@globtourfb.poznan.pl

Gniezno 62-200 Gniezno, ul. Rynek 14tel. 61 428 41 00info@szlakpiastowski.com.pl Kalisz62-800 Kalisz, ul. Zamkowatel. 62 598 27 31it@um.kalisz.pl

Konin62-510 Konin, ul. Dworcowa 2tel. 63 246 32 48biuro@lotmarina.pl

Leszno64-100 Leszno, ul. Słowiańska 24tel. 65 529 81 91, 65 529 81 92infotur@leszno.pl

Nowy Tomyśl 64-300 Nowy Tomyślpl. Niepodległości 10tel. 61 442 38 06r.ratajczak@nowytomysl.pl

Piła64-920 Piła, al. Niepodległości 33/35tel. 67 210 94 80pit@powiat.pila.pl

Puszczykowo62-040 Puszczykowo, ul. Poznańska 1tel. 61 633 62 83, 61 898 37 11promocja@puszczykowo.pl

Śrem 63-100 Śrem, ul. Okulickiego 3tel. 61 283 27 04unia@srem.com.pl Wolsztyn64-200 Wolsztyn ul. Roberta Kocha 12atel. 68 347 31 04gci@wolsztyn.pl

Project co-financed by the European Union through the Regional Development Fund, as part of the Wielkopolska Regional Operational Program for the years 2007 - 2013

European Funds for Innovation and Development in Wielkopolska

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