Palaces

Kozłówka Palace

Kozłówka Palace was built in 1736–1742 for Michał Bieliński, voivode of Chełmno, most probably to a design by the Italian architect Józef II Fontana. From 1799 to 1944 it belonged to the Zamoyski family; today it houses the Zamoyski Museum — its interiors are described as unmatched in Poland and very rare in Europe in terms of authenticity.

Interiors frozen in time

At the turn of the 20th century Konstanty Zamoyski made Kozłówka the family's main seat and rebuilt the residence: the front gained a columned portico on arcades, towers with hidden water tanks rose at the sides, and the ceilings were designed by Jan Fryderyk Heurich Jr. Stucco ceilings, Meissen-tiled stoves, marble fireplaces and oak parquets have all survived. Even 1944 did not destroy this wealth — when the Red Army seized the palace, one of the officers made sure the collections were saved.

The only socialist-realist gallery

The former carriage house holds the only Gallery of Socialist Realist Art in Poland. It gathers more than 1,600 sculptures, paintings, prints and posters from the first half of the 1950s, and in front of the building stand dismantled monuments to Bierut, Lenin and Marchlewski. Newsreels and "The Internationale" accompany the tour. Scenes of the American-British war film "The Aryan Couple" (2004) were also shot here.

Visiting

Beyond the palace you will find a chapel modelled on Versailles, a French baroque garden and the park. The palace-and-park complex has held the status of a Historic Monument since 2007, and the European Meeting Centre operates next door. Plan more than half a day to see the whole complex.