Kórnik Arboretum

Around Kórnik Castle grows the oldest and richest arboretum in Poland: more than 3,500 species and varieties of trees and shrubs on over 50 hectares. In 2026 the garden celebrates its 200th anniversary. People come in spring for the magnolias, lilacs and azaleas, and in autumn for the colours of maples and bald cypresses by the pond.

History: two hundred years of collecting

The arboretum was founded in 1826 by Count Tytus Działyński, the owner of the castle, on the site of an earlier French-style garden created by Teofila Szołdrska-Potulicka. His son Jan Kanty Działyński continued the work – in his time the collection reached about 1,500 taxa – followed by his grandson Władysław Zamoyski, a traveller fascinated by trees. Before his death in 1924, Zamoyski gave the Kórnik estate to the Kórnik Foundation, one of whose aims was to set up a tree research institute.

Today the arboretum belongs to the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. By number of species it is the fourth largest collection in Europe. Together with the castle and the parish church it was declared a Monument of History in 2011.

What to see

• Centuries-old native trees – limes, beeches and oaks from the Działyński era.
• Bald cypresses with breathing roots sticking up from the ground, the oldest in Poland.
• Magnolia trees and Greek firs more than a century old.
• Collections of birches, apples, cherries, lilacs, forsythias, spireas, rhododendrons and azaleas.
• The "Trees of the World" trail – 3.5 kilometres with boards on 25 species from North America, Asia and Europe, opened in 2010. Each tree has a board with a range map and notes on its place in culture.
• The "Yew Chambers" trail and an educational clearing with teaching boards, plus a playground and picnic meadows.

In the so-called New Arboretum stand the Institute of Dendrology's buildings and experimental gardens. Guided tours of 1–2 hours are available by prior booking.

Did you know?

Kórnik was where species such as Korean fir, Veitch's fir and beauty bush were first acclimatised. Several insects and mites were recorded here for the first time in Poland, and one was described here for the first time anywhere. New and old species and varieties are propagated in the Kórnik Nurseries.

Tripto tip

The arboretum is open all year; longest in May and June, from 10:00 to 19:00, with shorter hours in other months. The main ticket office is on Zamkowa Street; check current prices on the Institute of Dendrology website. Allow 1.5–2 hours for a walk, or half a day with the castle. The best times are May (magnolias, lilacs, azaleas) and October. Children can follow a Quest treasure trail that takes about 45 minutes. Afterwards, stroll along the promenade by Lake Kórnik and visit the Gothic All Saints' Church with the Górka family tombs.