Gałów Palace

Near Miękinia, west of Wrocław, amid a park flowing into riverside forests stand the ruins of an eclectic palace. The place looks bleak, but its history written since 1561 and the surviving details — coats of arms, German inscriptions, a bridge over a dry moat — make it one of the more interesting romantic ruins of Lower Silesia.

Seidlitz, Roeder, Bonin

Court documents from 1561 mention the palace as the property of the von Seidlitz family. The present shape dates from the 19th century, with an early 20th-century rebuild. On the ruin's elevation the coats of arms of von Roeder and von Bonin are still visible, made to commemorate the marriage of Albrecht von Roeder and Elisabeth von Bonin — with the year 1866. Above the main entrance survives the German inscription Halte was du hast — Hold on to what you have — dated 1874.

The 1998 fire

In the 1970s the building was still partly inhabited and managed by a state farm. In 1998 the palace roof was deliberately set on fire, and since then the residence has stood in complete ruin.

The palace complex

The palace is approached by a bridge over a dry moat; nearby stand two outbuildings and an 18th-century granary, and the whole is surrounded by a historic park from the second half of the 19th century, passing into riverside forests.

In practice

The ruins lie on Parkowa Street in Gałów (Miękinia commune, Środa Śląska county). The interiors are not open to visitors — the walls are admired from the outside, with care for the stone details. Combine your visit with the castle in Smolec or the palace in Krzyżanowice.