Wilanow Palace in Warsaw is a royal gift as a token of love. Opening hours and ticket prices

Wilanów Palace - like everything in Warsaw - a landmark with a difficult fate. In the 17th century of construction, Wilanów was an unremarkable village near Warsaw. King Jan Sobieski III bought the estate here and decided to turn it into his residence. Built with the participation of specially invited architects from France and Italy, it survived the looting by the Russian army and two wars. During the First World War, the palace was mercilessly turned into a warehouse and a hospital, and during the Second World War, the Germans were hard at work here.

Now Wilanów (“Villa Nova”, as it was originally planned to be called) is one of the most beautiful sights in Warsaw. In addition to the palace itself with interior rooms from the time of King Jan III Sobieski and the painting gallery, there is a 45-hectare park, made in the elegant regular style of landscape art.

Take water with you, and even better - food to have a small picnic snack on the lawn or a secluded bench.

Official site

Cost and working time

Entrance to the park costs 5 PLN, but the visit will not be complete if you do not get to the palace. A full ticket costs 20 zł, a reduced ticket costs 15 zł, and on Thursdays admission to the palace is free.

Winter season (October-December, January-March, check the exact dates on the website):
9.30 - 16.00 (entrance until 15.00), day off Tuesday.

Summer season (April - September, check the exact dates on the website):
Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun: 09.00 – 18.00,
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 09.00 - 16.00.

Attention! Somewhere from the end of December and the first half of January, the palace is closed! Please take this into account!

Official site

How to get to Wilanow

The palace complex is a bit removed from the center, so there are always quite a few tourists here, compared, for example, with the Royal Lazienki.

Of course, you will walk along the most popular tourist street Krakowskie przedmiescie. Bus 116 runs along it, which will take you to the Wilanow stop in half an hour and, which is especially pleasant for people who do not know the city, this will be its final stop.

In 1677, the Polish king Jan Sobieski decided to build a country palace. He chose Augustine Lozzi as the architect. Five years of building and laying out the park. The king personally planted poplars. The date of creation of the Wilanow complex is 1682.

This is a very beautiful place.
The palace itself, built according to the kurdoter scheme (the central court of honor between the main entrance and the two wings of the building), is surrounded by a magnificent park. Baroque style architecture.

Wilanow Palace after the death of its creator many times passed into the ownership of different families. In 1720 to Elizabeth Senyavskaya. She hires architects and completes the building. Sculptors Comparetti, F. Fumo and Plersh, on her order, decorate the building with the most complex decor.

In addition to Elizabeth, the owners of the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw were: King August II, then the Czartoryzhsky family. From them the building passes to the Lubomirsky family. The princes of Potocki were also noted in Wilanow. All these owners added new buildings and interiors. The complex is unique in its connection with different times and famous personalities.

Surprisingly, during the period from 1720 to 1970, the overall composition of the Wilanow palace and park complex was not affected by all the additions and alterations. Most of the buildings have survived. Only individual knots and patterns changed.

Outside Wilanow is decorated with busts, pilasters, stucco and columns. Stucco molding and busts were made by the sculptor Schwaner. Inside are picturesque plafonds by Shimiginovsky and sculptures by Schluter. Huge windows to the floor give the illusion of open space, which is complemented by an equestrian monument to the founder of the castle inside. You can walk through the interior spaces like in a park, admiring the collections of sculptures, painted tiles, inlaid furniture, frescoes…

But the park is worth a separate delight. It is made in the French style and organically continues the palace. Impeccable forms, the severity of the layout look most advantageous from the second floor. Walking in the park is also very pleasant, here you can relax from the hustle and bustle of Warsaw.

World War II severely damaged this architectural masterpiece. But after the end of the war, Wilanow was completely restored under the supervision of the architect Gerard Ciolek.

Wilanow Palace is located in the southeastern suburbs of Warsaw and is surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. And even though it is not the center, there are always a lot of guests here. The palace is compared with Versailles.

It is very good to come here with the family. You can stay at TWW Mokotow - Apartments or EURO DOM RESIDENCE WARSZAWA. Nearby is the Hotel Wilanów Warszawa by DeSilva, with which the palace itself shared its name, and it is easy to get to the center by public transport.

Wilanów Palace is a real baroque masterpiece, built in 1677-1698 by Augustin Lozzi for King Jan III Sobieski. It is located in the southeast of Warsaw in the Wilanów district.

How a luxury residence was created

Jan III Sobieski purchased an estate in Wilanów. Contemporaries believed that the price paid was too high, because the estate was in a sorry state. The king, despite this, it was there that he represented his future residence.

The amateur engineer Augustin Lozzi was appointed the main builder. At first, a small one-story building was built. Four years later, it was decided to turn the modest estate of the ruler into a representative residence, for which prominent French and Italian architects were invited to Wilanow.

Michelangelo Palloni decorated the ceilings and walls. Craftsmen came from all over Poland. Special agents around the world were looking for works of art. Many valuable items were presented by ambassadors and diplomats. The estate has become a real landmark of Poland and the pride of the king.

The fate of the Wilanow Palace after the death of the king

In June 1696, after the death of Jan III Sobieski, the palace was inherited by the young princes Konstantin and Alexander, but due to financial problems, the estate passed into the possession of the grand hetman's widow, Elzhbieta Sinyavskaya.

In 1733, the Wilanów Palace was destroyed by Russian troops, who unceremoniously robbed its interiors. In this deplorable state, the palace went to Stanislav Kostka Potocki. The count opened the residence of the king for free visiting, restored the former luxury of the palace, dedicated some rooms to the memory of Jan III Sobieski. The interiors were replenished with works of art by Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck and Velasquez.

During the First World War, a headquarters and a military hospital were set up here. The German invaders set about plundering and destroying the Polish national treasure. The Germans smeared 18th-century stools with margarine, covered themselves with tapestries from the Rococo era, and poured soup on gilded tables. By 1945, only a fifth of the interior decoration remained.

The palace after the liberation of Warsaw passed to the state. Restoration of the destroyed building began.

Palace Museum in Wilanów

It was not until 1962 that the first visitors were able to visit the palace rooms. Now it is one of the most remarkable cultural and tourist attractions in Warsaw.

Tour groups book tickets at least one month in advance. Therefore, it makes sense to book a hotel in Warsaw in advance. An elegant reception, concert or symposium can be organized for tourists and residents of Poland in the Wilanow Palace. For this purpose, the White Hall and the apartments of the wife of Marshal Isabella Lubomirskaya, located in the southern wing of the palace, are offered.

Information for visitors

Address: Stanisława Kostki Potockiego 10/16, 02-958 Warsaw.

How to get there: buses that run to the Wilanow Palace and Park - No. 116, 130, 131, 139, 163, 164, 180, 200, 251, 264, 317, 339, 379, 519, 710, 724, 725, E-2.

Schedule

Wilanów Palace outside the tourist season open from January 1 to April 13 and from October 15 to December 14:

• daily, except Tuesday - 9:30 - 16:00;
• from December 17 to January 11 - Wilanow Palace is closed.

• Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday - 9:30 - 18:00;
• Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - 9:30 - 16:00.

*The box office stops selling tickets one hour before closing.

Gardens open to visitors all year round, daily at 9:00, and closing hours depend on the season. Also, during strong winds, the park is temporarily closed for the safety of tourists.

• September - 9:00 - 19:00;
• October 13-31 - 9:00 - 17:00;
• November 1 - February 25 - 9:00 - 16:00;
• February 26 - March 24; October 1-12 - 9:00 - 18:00;
• March 25 - April 30 - 9:00 - 20:00;
• May and August - 9:00 - 21:00;
• June, July - 9:00 - 22:00.

Ticket price

Permanent exhibition in the palace and access to the park- 20 PLN (4.70 €), for beneficiaries - 15 PLN (3.50 €);

Entrance to the park only- 5 PLN (1.20 €), for beneficiaries - 3 PLN (0.70 €).

Current ticket prices can be viewed on the official website of Wilanow Palace.

Continuing your tour of the palaces of Warsaw, you can go to a newer building - Staszic Palace, which was built in 1820-1823. Now transferred to the Polish Academy of Sciences.

There are many interesting places in Warsaw, and one of them is the palace in Wilanów. Once it was located on the edge of Warsaw, but now the city has grown a lot and it is not difficult to get to it. About ten kilometers from the Old Town. Of course, the best and fastest way to get there is by bus number 116 or 180 to the final stop Wilanow.

I arrived there early in the morning and spent the whole day there until sunset. I just wandered along the paths of the park, watched the ducks that live in the pond and lake in the park area and, of course, took pictures of the palace itself. The weather was so wonderful that I did not even go inside the palace, which I now regret a little.

This is the entrance to the territory of the park and the palace. It is guarded by security guards, who, despite their good nature, still did not give me permission to carefully climb onto the grass to photograph the flowers.

Wilanów Palace was built at the end of the seventeenth century as a country residence for King Jan Sobieski. This king made "perpetual peace" with Russia in the seventeenth century.

The gallery is entwined with grape vines with red leaves. For me, their color is very unusual!

There is a beautiful fountain near the entrance.

This palace was built as a symbol of love between the king and his wife Marie Casimira Louise de Grange d'Arquien, who bore him fourteen children.

And they met shortly before her wedding with Prince Jan Zamoyski. He was a womanizer and a reveler, and this way of life brought him death from syphilis. Marysenka, for all six years of her marriage, corresponded with King Jan Sobieski, and in the end they, like in a fairy tale, got married after the death of the prince. The wedding took place in secret, but everything secret becomes clear. It is not good for a king to hide his marital status. There were rumors, and now they are officially walking down the aisle. Yang decided to give his young wife a royal gift and build a large mansion in a beautiful place.

Marysenka was French, and the Baroque style, which was fashionable at the time, was chosen for the building.

The architect was the Italian master Augustine Lozzi. The building was built, but it was decided to rebuild it from a love nest into a residence palace serving for receptions, and architects, sculptors and artists flowed from all sides, who turned the Wilanów Palace into a true masterpiece of baroque.

The palace rose garden is full of flowers and statues.

It is pleasant to stroll through the two-level baroque garden, decorated with pyramidal bushes and many flowers. Jan Sobieski personally looked after the garden and was well versed in the art of gardening.

I planned to spend the whole day here and was in no rush. Therefore, I decided to observe the life of insects.

The Italian garden is full of ancient statues, and some of the figures symbolize regions of Poland. Some of the statues were brought from the Birkenau Museum.

Neatly trimmed flower beds create real labyrinths of patterns on the ground.

And around the palace there are many shady alleys leading to the water.

The Wilanowski Pond is located on the territory of the park. There is peace and tranquility here. Only the wind rustles in the crowns.

For tired tourists, there are many white benches around the perimeter. The banks of the pond are reinforced with logs, on which it is very convenient for ducks to sit.

Birds let you get quite close, but they quack warningly when you approach them.

As a result, they do not withstand and descend into the water. It's safer there.

On the opposite side of the lake is the Morisin Landscape Park. I didn’t go there, but I saw how people grilled shish kebabs on the grill they brought in - a great place for a picnic overlooking the royal park.

Leaves floating on the surface of the lake are pink water lilies, symbolizing the love of the king. He lived with Mary in marriage for thirty years. Too bad I didn't see the flowers.

The power plant of the Sekirki thermal power station is visible in the distance. Built in the middle of the twentieth century, it works mainly on coal. These pipes in the distance are the only thing that reminds us of the proximity of the city.

There are many fish in the lake. Of course, she is very small, but she will definitely grow)

The greenhouse building and a pond with a fountain next to it host an exhibition of applied arts, where richly decorated handmade items made of porcelain, ceramics and other materials are exhibited. It's a little strange that there aren't any statues.

The weather after lunch deteriorated a little: clouds came in and the pond became almost black. This is also Wilanowskoe Lake and the English Garden around.

"There is a black pond in the count's park..."

The ancient steps are covered with moss. The severity of the centuries was clearly imprinted on them.

A Chinese pavilion built for Count Stanisław Kostka Potocki.

This is the place for her, perfectly inscribed in the landscape.

And next to the Chinese gazebo is the place for the mandarin duck.

The Roman bridge is visible in the distance.

Right next to the park are private houses. Great neighborhood.

It must be nice to ride these places on your own boat.

If you walk along the Roman bridge, you can go to a peninsula surrounded by a lake.

There is a monument to the Rashinsky battle of 1809 on it. "The Battle of Raszyn is a battle between the troops of the Austrian Empire and the army of the Duchy of Warsaw under the command of Jozef Poniatowski on April 19, 1809." Link to Wikipedia.

There are a lot of berries on the bushes near the path - they just burn.

It's good to be here, quiet and peaceful. Birds sing in the branches, and the noise of the city is not heard at all. I even took a self-portrait on this bench. I'll show you sometime)

A huge tree that is many years old. Perhaps the king himself helped him grow?

The pumping station is more like a small castle.

And nearby you can rent a boat. And take a ride on the lake.

Do you know what this site is called? Courdoneur, or "court of honor". Such courtyards were often built during the Baroque period.

Over the centuries, the palace has been completed and rebuilt many times. It was owned by many members of the royal families. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the residence of the royal family became a museum and every ordinary person could visit there and take a walk in the garden and park.

During the First World War, the palace building served as a military hospital. There was also a headquarters there.

The Second World War brought a lot of misfortune to the country, the palace was plundered, and the interiors were ruthlessly destroyed. But most of the collection returned to its rightful place after the Victory over the Nazis.

It took almost twenty years to restore the palace and the park area. But now everyone can admire this architectural masterpiece and rightfully the real pride of the Poles.

The sun went down and the architectural lighting turned on.

And the park was completely empty. Bats fly in the dark alleys.

And at night, the irrigation system is turned on.

Neo-Gothic gate leading to the palace.

Mausoleum of Saints Stanislav Kostka and Alexandra Potocki. Behind the trees you can see the dome of St. Anne's Church. They are buried at the Wilanow Cemetery, which is more like a monument to their parents, which was erected by their son.

Night street near the entrance.

It was a great day and I'm glad I spent it here. Great, quiet place to take a break from the noise of the streets.

Sources of some historical facts - "

The baroque palace and park ensemble of Wilanow is located on the southeastern outskirts of Warsaw, 10 kilometers from the city center. Due to its location, it is one of the few monuments that survived the war. The palace is a member of the association of European royal residences along with the French Versailles.

The Wilanow Ensemble was built in 1677 by order of Jan III Sobieski: the king, one of the most beloved and unusual rulers of Poland, himself took part in the design. The Wilanów Palace has been preserved almost unchanged; everything here speaks of the tastes and preferences of its owner.

Tourists can admire the majestic equestrian statue of the king: it used to meet guests at the main entrance, but now it has been moved to one of the halls. Allegorical paintings adorning the ceiling of one of the galleries tell the story of the love of Jan III Sobieski and his wife Marysenka, who played a significant role in her husband's rise and did not think of becoming king. For the first time, the future king and the French maid of honor met at a ball, but two months later Marysenka was to get married: her husband turned out to be a reveler and a drunkard and soon died of syphilis. After his death, the lovers were able to get married and lived together for almost 30 years.

The interiors of the palace have been preserved almost unchanged: here you can see the original furniture, frescoes, portraits and sculptures that appeared here under Jan III Sobiesk.

Opening hours: from the end of January to April and from September to mid-December from 9.30 to 16.00 on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Closed on Tuesdays. During the high season, the palace opens at 9.30, the closing time depends on the day of the week. Monday - at 20.00, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 16.00, Wednesday and Saturday - at 18.00. On Sunday the museum is open from 10.30 to 18.00. Visitors are closed one hour before closing. The park is open from 9.00 to dark all year round. Ticket price: a visit to the palace costs PLN 20 for adults, reduced ticket - PLN 15. In the low season, you can get into the palace for free on Thursday, in the high season - on Sunday. A ticket to the palace park costs 5 PLN, a reduced ticket costs 3 PLN. How to get there: take buses 116, 163, 180, 317, 725, 742 to the Wilanow stop. Address: Museum of King Jan III "s Palace at Wilanow ul. Stanislawa Kostki Potockiego 10/16 www.