Palmiry Cemetery and Memorial Museum

The Palmiry Cemetery and Museum - Memorial Site (Cmentarz i Muzeum - Miejsce Pamięci Palmiry) is one of the most important memorials to the victims of German terror in 1939-1943 near Warsaw. Deep in Kampinos National Park, in the Czosnów municipality, more than 2,000 Poles murdered by the Germans are buried, and a museum, a branch of the Museum of Warsaw, stands beside the cemetery. It is a place for silence and reflection, and an important stop for anyone studying the occupation of Poland in the Second World War.

Where it is and how to say it

Palmiry (pahl-MEE-ree) is about 22 km northwest of central Warsaw, the nearest big city and airport. A car is the easiest way here. Prices are in zloty (PLN). The museum's website has an English version.

A short history

In 1929 a road was built through the forest to hidden military depots, and in September 1939 fighting took place here over their supplies. Between December 1939 and July 1941 the Germans carried out at least 20 executions in a clearing near Palmiry, killing more than 1,700 people, mostly Poles and Jews, often brought from Warsaw prisons. The largest took place on 20-21 June 1940 in the "AB Action", when at least 358 prisoners of the Pawiak prison, many of them from Poland's political, intellectual and cultural elite, were shot. The Germans disguised the graves by planting young trees over them.

After the war the Polish Red Cross exhumed remains from about 24 sites. The cemetery-mausoleum was created in 1948; among those buried are the Marshal of the Sejm Maciej Rataj, the Olympic athlete Janusz Kusociński and the socialist leader Mieczysław Niedziałkowski. Sources give different totals: 2,115 (plaque at the cemetery), 2,204 (the municipality) or 2,252. The Museum of Struggle and Martyrdom opened in 1973, and the new Museum - Palmiry Memorial Site opened in March 2011.

What to see

• The cemetery-mausoleum: rows of concrete crosses with elongated arms, meant to recall a person's outstretched arms before execution.
• Graves in the forest, marked by pairs of crosses.
• The museum, with a permanent exhibition on the executions at Palmiry and in the Kampinos Forest in 1939-1943.
• The surroundings of Kampinos National Park, with forest paths.

How long to allow

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the cemetery and museum. The museum offers guided tours (in October 2026 on Saturdays at 12:00, about 90 minutes) and museum lessons; the traditional PTTK youth rally takes place in October. Please keep quiet and respectful at the cemetery. The subject matter is difficult for small children; the site gives no recommended age.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• 1 April to 1 November: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00.
• 2 November to 31 March: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-16:00.
• Closed on Mondays.
• Check ticket prices and free days before you go, when buying online or at the desk: +48 22 720 80 93.
• Guided tours and lessons: +48 22 277 44 94 or +48 725 553 600.

Getting there

The museum address is Droga Palmirska 1, 05-152 Czosnów. Bus line 800 from Młociny metro station has run on seasonal weekends since 2011; check the current timetable. The site gives no parking or accessibility details.

Nearby

Kampinos National Park offers walking and cycling routes around the memorial. Is it worth visiting? Yes, as a solemn place of remembrance and an important piece of Warsaw's wartime history.