Saxon Garden in Lublin

Lublin's thickest tree grows in the Saxon Garden: a white poplar in the southern part of the park measures more than 6 metres round and has been a protected natural monument since 1997. The city's oldest public park was laid out in 1837 in the English style beside today's Aleje Racławickie, on the rolling plateau of the former Dominican Fields. It now covers 12.8 hectares with about 2,500 trees, and the Old Town is a 15–20 minute walk away.

History: a park modelled on Puławy

The park was created by the engineer Feliks Bieczyński. He took inspiration from, among others, the Czartoryski park in Puławy, and used the natural hollows of the terrain to plant exotic species among native ones. As early as 1840 a new road towards Wieniawa, along today's ul. Długosza, cut through the park. It has been called the "Saxon Garden", after the one in Warsaw, since 1860. It reached maturity after 1870 and enjoyed its heyday in 1918–1939, when a Sunday stroll through the "Saski" was the fashionable thing to do in Lublin.

In the late 19th century the park was enclosed by an ornamental fence with a gate and a gatekeeper's lodge. After the Second World War the fence and gate were removed, leaving only the lodge; they were rebuilt in 2007–2008. A thorough revitalisation in 2012–2013 covered the paths, the pond, the playground, the concert shell and storm drainage; according to the city portal it cost more than PLN 17.2 million, of which PLN 10 million came from EU funds. The Saxon Garden is a listed heritage site.

What to see

• The white poplar, about 615 cm in girth, some 70 m north of the main building of the Catholic University of Lublin – probably the most impressive tree in the city.
• The silver lime by the sundial – the oldest tree in the park and one of the oldest in Lublin.
• The pond with footbridges, the fountain and the restored concert shell.
• The rebuilt main gate with the gatekeeper's lodge on Aleje Racławickie, and a small roadside shrine by the avenue.

Tripto tip

Admission is free. Since the revitalisation dogs are not allowed – check the rules posted at the entrances. On Saturday mornings a parkrun takes place here, so the paths are busier. An hour is enough for a walk around the pond and a look at the giant poplar. The main entrance is on Aleje Racławickie, served by many bus and trolleybus lines; from the Old Town you can walk here along Krakowskie Przedmieście. Across the avenue stands the Centre for the Meeting of Cultures, and the Catholic University of Lublin campus is right next to the park.