Wilanów Palace, Warsaw, Poland

The history of the Wilanow Palace, a wonderful Baroque royal residence, began on April 23, 1677, when a village became the property of King John Sobieski III. Augustyn Locci, the king’s court architect, received the task of creating only a ground floor residence of a layout typical for the buildings of the Republic of Poland. However, military successes and an increase of the importance of royalty in the coming years had a huge influence on expanding the initial project. Huge construction works were conducted in the years 1677-1696. After completion, the building comprised of elements of a nobility house, an Italian garden villa and a French palace in the style of Louis XIV. After the death of the King, the Palace became the property of his sons, and in 1720, a run down property was purchased by one of the wealthiest women in Poland of those days – Elizabeth Sieniawska. In 1730, the Palace, for three years, was owned by king August II the Strong, who made considerable changes in the residence, particularly as far as the internal décor is concerned.

In the middle of 18th century, the Wilanów property was inherited by the daughter of Czartoryski, wife of a field marshal, Izabela Lubomirska, during whose reign, Wilanów started shining with its previous glory. Sixty nine years later, the Duchess gave Wilanów to her daughter and her husband, Stanislaw Kostka Potocki. Thanks to his efforts, one of the first museums in Poland was opened in the Wilanów Palace, in 1805.

The exposition consists of two parts: on the main floor you will be able to see the royal apartments of the palace. Rooms where parties took place, chambers where the royal couples listened to music, met their friends and guests, and where they worked and rested. On the first floor there is the Gallery of the Polish Portrait, where you can see the effigies of the Polish monarchs collected over the centuries, representatives of great magnate families, participants of national uprisings, eminent artists and people honored by Poland. Their authors are often prominent Polish and foreign painters.

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Wilanów Palace

User Reviews

M CHOI (2 years ago)
The entrance fee to the palace park is 10 zwerty per person. Using the vending machine at the entrance of the parking lot can save time. Walk slowly and capture the beautiful scenery. If you walk along the river, you can rent a canoe or a boat

Colin (2 years ago)
A wonderful area to be. The park before the whole castle is wonderful for walking and enjoying the sun and wheater. There is a grave and the whole area is clean and cared. The garden you can reach by buying a ticket is wonderful too. A cared area with flowers and shaped plants. Amazing to look to it. Unfortunatly there is one part, which is a bit neglected, but this isn't that bad. Inside the castle- you need the same - ticket you can see wonderful furnished rooms. They are still trying to restore the walls, ceilings or other things. Some parts of the castle - outside - could be repaired, but the other 99,9% is wonderful. Nice staff is showing you the right way and looks if there are too many people inside. Good price and a big recommendation

Tobi B (2 years ago)
A must-see if you're in Warsaw. Believe me, it is worth the trip. This palace is more impressive than the kings palace in town and offers a big collection of art pieces as well. The gardens are really beautiful, too. You can even go for a boat ride.

Kat (2 years ago)
Nice palace with lots of historical value. The garden is very beautiful, and the park is a lovely walk to take. There isn’t too much to see, since the palace is quite small, but it is still worth coming here! Out of the many castles/palaces in Warsaw, Wilanow Palace is probably the one I would recommend the most

kristjan svajger (2 years ago)
There is more than 1 ticket machine so it there is a long line you can find a different one 2mins walk away and it will most likely be empty. The gardens are well kept, the ponds are clean, the whole easthetic is wonderfull. Would recommend to anyone who likes nature or walks in the park because there are a lot of pathways.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

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The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

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