Hubertus Festival in Świerklaniec

The Cavalry Hubertus in Świerklaniec is an autumn festival of foresters, hunters and riders held in the historic park of the former Donnersmarck residence. In 2024 it reached its 26th edition, organised by the municipality together with the "Gonitwa" riding centre. Participants come from all over Poland, and the highlight is the spectacular fox chase in front of the Cavalier's Palace.

Programme

The 2024 edition took place on Saturday 19 October and began at 11:00 with a concert by the "Bytom" miners' brass band. It was followed by:

• an open-air Mass (11:30) and the official opening in front of the Cavalier's Palace at about 12:00,
• the fox chase – a traditional, spectacular display of horsemanship,
• a side-saddle elegance competition,
• cavalry drill displays,
• a presentation of hunting dogs and a birds of prey exhibition.

The setting: the Donnersmarck park

The park covers about 200 ha, more than 8 ha of which are ponds and canals. It was given its present shape in the 19th century to designs by Peter Joseph Lenné and Gustav Meyer. In 1868–1875 Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck built a palace here for his wife Blanche de Païva, later called the "Little Versailles" and linked with a concept by Hector-Martin Lefuel. The palace burned in 1945, and its remains were demolished in the 1960s. What survives are the terraces, the pools with a fountain and four cast-iron sculpture groups by Emmanuel Frémiet showing animals fighting – including a stag with a bear and a horse with a lioness. The early 20th-century Cavalier's Palace was designed by Ernst von Ihne.

Tripto tips

The date and programme of the next edition are announced by Świerklaniec municipality – check its notices a few weeks ahead. The park lies on Parkowa Street in the Brynica valley, next to Lake Świerklaniec. Allow 3–4 hours for the event itself; if you stay longer, walk around the water parterre with its sculptures and on to the Church of the Good Shepherd with the Donnersmarck mausoleum. Arrive early for the fox chase to get a spot along the course.