SGGW Arboretum in Rogów

The SGGW Arboretum in Rogów (pronounced roughly ROH-goov) is one of Poland's richest tree gardens, set in forest about 40 km east of Łódź in central Poland. Run by the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), it mixes serious plant science with easy walking paths, ponds and a rock garden. If you wonder whether it is worth visiting, the answer is yes, especially in October when maples and other trees turn red and gold.

Where it is and how to get there

Rogów is in the Łódź Voivodeship, roughly 40 km from Łódź and about 100 km from Warsaw, so it works as a half-day trip from either city. The easiest way is by car: from Łódź you drive through Brzeziny and turn off at Marianów, about 10 km past Brzeziny. There is paid parking (15 zł) on some weekends and holidays. The regional rail operator ŁKA also offers a discounted entry ticket for rail passengers. Prices are in Polish złoty (PLN); I could not confirm whether signage is in English, so keep a translation app handy.

A short history

The arboretum was founded in 1923 on land handed to the university after 1919. In 1925 its first head, Prof. Edward Chodzicki, planted an experimental plot of Douglas fir; the trees now top 38 m according to the garden (other sources say over 45 m). Before World War II the grounds covered about 61.6 hectares. The collection suffered badly in the war years and two harsh winters, and the rebuilding started in 1947. Since 1952 the garden has swapped seeds with more than 400 botanical gardens worldwide.

What to see

• The rock garden (alpinarium), built in the 1950s from granite and limestone, with a stream, a waterfall and an island in the large pond.
• Ponds and a peat bog ringed by mature trees, the most photogenic corner in autumn.
• The Garden of Endangered World Plants, opened in 2017, which includes a display of wood cross-sections.
• Forest plots with Douglas firs and other non-native trees.

The collection currently holds more than 3,300 taxa (species and varieties), according to SGGW material. Sources give the area as roughly 50 to 53.8 hectares.

Visiting tips

Plan two to three hours. Spring brings azaleas and rhododendrons, autumn brings colour. The official site announces a Maple Autumn Festival (Festiwal Jesiennych Klonów) in October but lists no dates, so check before you go. Dogs, smoking, drones and cycling are banned. You can walk on your own, with a staff guide, or with an audio guide. A plant shop operates on site, and the nearby Museum of Forest and Wood is covered by a combined ticket.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

• Opening hours in October: weekdays 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., weekends and holidays 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; after the clocks change the garden closes at 4:00 p.m. Winter hours can change, so check the news section.
• Tickets: adult 19 zł, reduced 12 zł, family 55 zł; combined ticket with the Museum of Forest and Wood 33 zł / 22 zł. Children under 6 enter free (not as part of an organized trip). Online tickets are sold via Bilety24.
• Address: ul. Leśna 5b, 95-063 Rogów; phone +48 46 874 81 36; arboretum@sggw.edu.pl.
• The website mentions a modernization project (Modernizacja Arboretum 2026) but announces no closure.