Palace in Milicz

Maltzan Palace in Milicz (say "MEE-leech") is a late-18th-century Neoclassical residence in Lower Silesia, about an hour's drive north of Wrocław, whose domes and columned portico recall the royal palaces of Potsdam. It sits in a large English-style landscape park with old trees and the ruins of a medieval castle. The building now houses a forestry school rather than a museum, but its courtyards and grounds make a rewarding stop on any trip to the Barycz Valley, Poland's famous fish-pond and birdwatching country.

A short history

The von Maltzan family held the Milicz estate from 1590, originally living in the Gothic castle by the Barycz River. The present palace was built in 1797–1798 to designs by Karl Geissler for Joachim Karl von Maltzan, and a south wing was added in 1910. Visitors who know Potsdam will spot the family resemblance to Sanssouci and the New Palace.

The palace has a remarkable World War II connection. Countess Maria von Maltzan was born here on March 25, 1909. Living in Berlin during the war, she hid people persecuted by the Nazi regime, among them the Jewish writer Hans Hirschel, and helped others obtain forged papers. In 1987 Yad Vashem recognized her as Righteous Among the Nations. The 1984 German film "Versteckt" (released in English as "Forbidden") was loosely based on her story.

After 1945 the area became part of Poland, and today the palace is home to the Władysław Jedliński Forestry Technical School (Technikum Leśne).

What to see

• Courtyard of honor: a gate with statues of bathing nymphs, Daphne and Leda with the swan, built of blast-furnace slag blocks to an 1844 design by Leonhard Schatzel, plus a relief-covered fountain designed by Cornelia Paczka-Wagner in 1929.
• Heraldic courtyard: coats of arms of the Kurzbach and Maltzan families and 15th- and 18th-century stonework salvaged from the old castle, along with a 1909 hunter statue.
• The park: roughly 50 hectares (125 acres) with around 80 species of trees and shrubs, including Douglas firs and bald cypresses with their knobbly "knees," and an oak about 7 m (23 ft) around.
• Castle ruins: the walls of the medieval stronghold where a treaty between the Teutonic Knights and Duke Mściwój II of Pomerania was signed in 1282.

The interior keeps an elliptical ballroom with wooden Ionic columns, but because this is a working school there are no regular public tours. Groups can try asking the school office in advance.

Planning your visit

Allow 60–90 minutes for the courtyards, park and ruins. A nine-stop educational trail runs through the grounds, with audio commentary in the Barycz Valley tourism app (mainly in Polish). Be considerate on school days: stay outside the buildings and keep noise down. Spring and fall are the most atmospheric seasons.

Getting there and nearby

Milicz is about 60 km (37 miles) by road north of Wrocław, whose airport is the nearest international gateway; a car is the most practical option. From the town center, walk along Piłsudskiego Street and through the lion gate into the park. Combine the palace with the Milicz Ponds, a major wetland reserve for waterbirds in the Barycz Valley Landscape Park, especially in spring and fall migration.

Practical information

As of October 2026, the grounds and courtyards can be seen from outside free of charge; we found no official opening hours or ticket prices for the interiors. Polish currency is the złoty (PLN). For interior access, contact the forestry school directly and confirm details on its website.