ALTERNATIVELY THROUGH POLAND: RACZYŃSKI PALACE in ROGALIN
‘most noteworthy is the address book
with hand-written Winston Churchill's own phone number.’
Greater Poland Voivodship is my home area, so it would seem that I should know it as my own pocket. However, this is not really the case and I think that we often forget about the beauty that is closest to us, searching for it more often in distant corners of the world than in our own backyard. Traveling more than 500 miles a week, I got used to already familiar landscapes and stopped paying more attention to them. Although the Palace in Rogalin, about which I intend to write, I visited the primary school for the first time, I still visit this place willingly, although very rarely. Therefore, I decided to give myself a reason for the next visit and reserve some space to the summer residence of the Raczyński family on the blog. Above all, I’d love to bring you closer to area of Poznań and encourage you to get to know it better ;)
WHAT CAN YOU SEE IN ROGALIN?
LANDSCAPED PARK AND PALACE GARDENS
Because I’m a nature lover, the surrounding gardens and landscaped park have always been the most enchanting for me in Rogalin. Regardless of the season, they look beautiful, and walks around them will soothe and relax you. Most people come here on Sundays around noon, so if you don’t like the crowds, it's better to take a walk in the early morning or early evening. In the park, you can also have a picnic, but you must remember no to make any noise or litter!
The park is located in the valley of the Warta River and occupies about 27 ha - only that is left of the original 300 ha of the landscape area. It is crossed by numerous oxbow lakes, tributaries and ponds, which after heavy rainfalls may flood some of the paths. Tourists are attracted to the park by old, magnificent oaks, which are fascinating monuments of nature. The four most majestic of them are Lech, Czech and Rus and Edward’s Oak. The circumference of the largest of them reaches up to nine meters!
The rococo garden adjoining the palace comes from the second half of the 18th century, and its baroque composition was built, among others, from conical cut thuas, hornbeam rows, stone vases and statues of mythological deities, which together create a neat, coherent whole. Gardens are worth visiting especially in late spring, when they are lush and intensely green.
THE PALACE, THE GALLERY, LONDON’s OFFECE ROOM AND GALLERY OF ANTENANTS and THE GUNNER
All the above buildings once belonged to the Raczyński family and only after the Second World War were they handed over to the State. Since the beginning of the 21st century, renovation works have been carried out to restore their former splendor. Thanks to the funds from the European Union, the entire external façade of the palace has been restored, majestically presenting itself from the entrance to the courtyard, but not all inside rooms of the building are already available to the public.
The Raczyński Palace was built in the 18th century and is currently in the possession of the National Museum in Poznań.
The gallery was opened to the public in the middle of the 20th century. It gathers works by such important Polish artists as Malczewski or Matejko.
The London’s office is a reconstruction of the cabinet of the then Refugee President of the Republic of Poland: Edward Bernard Raczyński, who during his 26-year stay in exile in London received the most distinguished guests, including Wałęsa, political activists, writers and artists. In the office there are many paintings of ancestors and other family Raczyński memorabilia, but the most noteworthy is probably the address book with hand-written Winston Churchill's own phone number.
The gunner is a treat for fans of horse-drawn carriages. Together with the stable, they served both an economic and a representative function as buildings. In those days, having horse-drawn carts testified to the wealth of the owner.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Admission to individual facility costs 15 PLN for each, but you can buy a pass entitling you to enter all places for 35 PLN.
It is possible to rent a guide for PLN 100, also English-speaking guide for PLN 150 - it guides groups of up to 25 people. The availability is limited, and you can sign up at the box office which opens 30 minutes before each tour.
You can rent free audio guides in the palace, available in Polish, English, German, French and Russian.
It is worth remembering that on Fridays, admission to the facilities is free. However, visiting the park and garden is free and available to all throughout the year: from 1.05. until 30/09. in hours 9: 00-20: 00, and from 01.10. until 30/04. in hours 9: 00-17: 00.
Parking is paid only on weekends and costs PLN 6 per day.
More information about prices and sightseeing opportunities can be found HERE.
The exact opening hours can be found HERE.
It is definitely worth visiting the Palace in Rogalin, especially if you are in this part of the Greater Poland Vovoidship. It works both as a place for a Sunday walk and for a day trip.
Since two weeks I have been able to bike to the Rogaliński Landscaped Park. Although the days are getting shorter and colder, with the return of spring, I would like to go there as often as possible and get to know this place even better. Let me know when you're around, maybe we'll meet for a cup of coffee? :)