Visiting Wilanów Palace, Warsaw, Poland
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What is Wilanów Palace?
Wilanów Palace is a former royal palace located in Wilanów District of Warsaw, about 25 minutes from Old Town Warsaw. It was built between 1677–1696 for the then-King of Poland, John iii Sobieski. The palace has been called the Versailles of Poland. Or, if you’re Polish, Versailles is the Wilanów of France. Regardless of which way you see it, the palace is positively stunning and a definite must-see on your trip to Warsaw, Poland.
The palace was designed by architect Augustyn Wincenty Locci. Wilanów Palace miraculously survived Poland's partitions and both World Wars. It’s also a fantastic example of Baroque architecture. The palace is considered one of Poland's most important monuments. It’s also a National Historic Monument. The museum, established in 1805, holds the country's royal and artistic heritage. It features room after room of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, and other artifacts.
Wilanów Palace Museum and Park receives around 3 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited palaces and monuments in the world. But happily, I can report it was not overwhelmed with crowds when I visited in spring.
Wilanow Palace History
Wilanów Palace was built for King John III Sobieski (aka King Jan Sobieski, aka Jan iii) and his wife, Queen Marie Casimire in the later part of the 17th century. The royal palace was subsequently enlarged by later owners. The palace interiors’ glorify the Sobieski family, especially the many military triumphs of the king.
After the death of King Jan in 1696, his sons took over the Polish palace before it became home to famous magnate families like the Sieniawskis, Czartoryskis, Lubomirskis, Potockis, and Branickis. In 1720, the Palace was purchased by Polish stateswoman Elżbieta Sieniawska who made several major additions, enlarging the palace. In the 18th century, the property changed hands several more times with residents changing and refurbishing some of the interiors, including the building of a corps de garde, a kitchen building, and a bathroom building under the supervision of Szymon Bogumił Zug.
In 1805, owner Stanisław Kostka Potocki opened a museum in part of the palace. This was one of the first public museums in Poland. One of the most notable examples of the collection is Stanislaw Kostka Potocki's equestrian portrait made by French artist Jacques-Louis David. The museum includes European and Oriental art, as well as a commemoration of King John III Sobieski.
The palace was damaged by German forces in World War II, but unlike much of the city, it was not demolished after the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. After the war, the palace was renovated, and most of the collection stolen by Germany was repatriated. In 1962 the palace museum was reopened to the public.
Where is Wilanów Palace? And How to Get to Wilanów Palace.
The Palace is located at: Stanisława Kostki Potockiego 10/16, 02-958 Warszawa, Poland
You can buy tickets to Wilanow Palace online. Tickets are free on Thursdays, but you need to get them in advance. You do not need a tour to visit the palace grounds. However, if you would like a tour, you can purchase one through Get Your Guide. They have a great combo tour of Wilanów Palace and the Palace of Culture and Science.
For my trip, I bought tickets online and took a taxi from my hotel near Old Town. It took about 25 minutes to get to the palace. Cabs are very inexpensive in Warsaw. The trip cost me about $22 US. My cab driver was nice enough to offer to return in two and a half hours to pick me up. True to his word, he met me right outside the park exactly on time. Just try pulling that in NYC.
Also, you needn’t worry too much about cab drivers not speaking English. I took cabs my entire stay in Warsaw and never had an issue.
Inside Wilanów Palace
Inside Wilanów Palace you’ll find an extraordinary collection of art. Internal decoration was overseen by Adam Kochański, who greatly admired China. Due to his influence, Wilanów is filled with luxury Chinese imports.
You’ll also be able to wander through decadent bedrooms.
The 17th-century palace included the works of the greatest contemporary and ancient masters, like Rembrandt, Raphael, the Caracci brothers, Guido Reni, and Bernardo Strozzi. The rooms were once filled with luxurious furnishings like a silver folding screen, a silver fountain, and a silk baldachin from the Shah of Persia. Sadly, these items were looted by the Germans during World War II and never retrieved.
Inside Wilanow Palace these is an incredible collection of statues, ceramics, carvings, paintings and other works of art.
Be sure to look up and take in all the incredible art surrounding every corner of the palace.
Ceilings at Wilanów
Just look at these gorgeous frescos! Among the artists appointed to decorate the palace interior in the 18th century was Giuseppe Rossi, an Italian fresco painter, who decorated the chambers with trompe-l'œil paintings.
More Wilanow Palace Interiors
As you wander through the rest of the palace you’ll see an incredible collection of furnishings, paintings, ceramics, and sculptures.
Is Wilanów Palace Accessible?
The ground floor of the palace and the park are accessible to visitors using wheelchairs. Unfortunately, the other floors remain inaccessible. If you’re a wheelchair user or someone who has a great deal of difficulty with stairs, I would advise visiting on a Thursday when tickets are free. No sense in paying full price when half the interior is off-limits due to inaccessibility.
The entrance to the palace for visitors in wheelchairs is located in the left wing of the main building (from the side of the Green Hallway). The entrance ticket inspector will inform you of the exact location of the Green Hallway.
Each of the palace rooms is equipped with chairs available to physically-disabled visitors.
It’s well worth visiting the palace just to see the gardens outside. The garden area is wheelchair accessible. The restroom for visitors in wheelchairs is located in the rose garden.
Unfortunately, tours given by the museum for deaf guests are only available in Polish sign language.
For visually impaired guests there is a scale model of the palace building located in the museum hall. Created for tactile perception, the model functions as an introduction to museum touring. The museum also provides audio guides helpful to blind and partially-sighted visitors.
The Wilanów Palace Gardens
The gardens around the palace are my favorite part of Wilanów. The palace gardens were carefully laid out to complement the design of the palace. Initially, they were shaped into a circular, baroque Italianate garden. As the palace grew and took on additions, so did the gardens and outdoor sculpture collection. Tourists are welcome to explore these gardens, known as the park. In fact, you can purchase a separate ticket just for the gardens if you choose to skip the interior tour.
The park is divided into the foreground, courtyard, baroque garden, north garden, rose garden, orangery, south landscape, north landscape, and the Morysin Nature Reserve. Each has its own distinctive design with unique features. For example, the north garden features statues of famed Polish poets, the rose garden showcases Japanese vases, and the northern landscape park includes a beautiful Chinese gazebo.
The park has plenty of large flat pathways making it easy to navigate.
Visit Wilanów Palace
Wilanów was easily one of the highlights of my trip. Visiting in spring, the gardens were alive with lush green plants and flowers. It was a beautiful time to experience Wilanów Palace.
Have you been to Wilanów? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
