Sulisław Palace

A white Gothic Revival palace with corner towers and stepped gables stands in a historic park near Grodków, beside ponds fed by artesian springs. Its owners included a Prussian field marshal rewarded for the wars against Napoleon and a count of the Schaffgotsch family, and after decades as a ruin it became the first five-star hotel in the Opole region. Today it is a weekend getaway, but also an interesting stop for anyone curious about Silesian country houses.

History: from knight's manor to hotel

According to the history published by the current owner, a knight's estate existed here in the Middle Ages and is sometimes linked with the Knights Templar. In the 17th century the village had a manor house, and the beginnings of the palace are dated to 1688. In 1814 the estate passed to the Prussian crown and was given to Field Marshal Yorck von Wartenburg as a reward for his service in the campaigns against Napoleon.

In 1888 Sulisław was acquired by Count Hans Karl von Schaffgotsch, son of the owner of Kopice Palace, who gave the building its Gothic Revival look. From 1909 the estate was leased out, and in 1915 it was bought by Count Johannes von Franken-Sierstorpff, owner of nearby Jędrzejów, whose family held it until 1945. Cartouches with the owners' coats of arms survive above the entrance.

After the war the palace was taken over by the state, and frequent changes of management left it badly damaged; from 1966 it stood empty, and after 2000 it decayed again. In 2006 the palace, farm buildings and park were bought by a Warsaw investor. The restored palace opened in 2012, followed two years later by the former farmstead with another hotel wing and restaurant.

What to see

• The palace exterior — Gothic Revival gables, turrets and heraldic cartouches above the entrance, best seen from the driveway.
• The palace park, laid out more than 150 years ago and listed as a heritage site together with the palace.
• Fish ponds fed by artesian water, with a beach, a small marina and a beach-volleyball court.
• The palace museum with collections of porcelain, paintings (mostly 19th-century, some older) and clocks.
• An Ayurvedic spa — the hotel describes it as the first in Poland to offer the full range of Ayurvedic treatments, with therapists from Sri Lanka.

Did you know?

Sulisław belongs to the Historic Hotels in Poland association. The grounds also include a golf driving range with 6 covered and 10 open bays, and a full-size sports hall. The palace (no. A-2025, listed in 1977) and the park (A-76/83) are entered separately in the regional heritage register.

Tripto tip

This is a working hotel at Sulisław 24 (Grodków municipality), so you can see the interiors as a hotel guest or when dining at the Graf restaurant; it is worth calling reception before you come. The palace exterior and park are best enjoyed on a walk around the ponds — allow about an hour. Afterwards, drive a few kilometres to the small town of Grodków.