Donnersmarck Palace in Nakło Śląskie

The palace in Nakło Śląskie looks as if it had been lifted from the English countryside: Tudor-style neo-Gothic, stepped gables and a slender tower raised in 1891. It was built by one of Upper Silesia's richest industrialists, Count Hugo I Henckel von Donnersmarck, and after 1921 his descendants took Polish citizenship – within the family they were even called the "Polish line". Today the palace houses the Centre for Silesian Culture, with exhibitions about the family.

History: a summer house that became a home

Construction began in 1856 and was completed in 1858, probably on the site of an older manor. At first it was the family's summer residence – Hugo I's main seat was Wolfsberg Castle – but his descendants later settled here for good. Similarities with Wolfsberg suggest the design may have come from Viennese architects. His eldest son, Lazarus IV, enlarged the palace in the 1890s and raised the tower in 1891, giving the building its present shape.

When Upper Silesia was partitioned in 1921, Nakło became part of Poland, and the Nakło Donnersmarcks stayed on as Polish citizens. The last owner, Lazarus V, left for Switzerland with his family in 1945 as the front approached. After the war an agricultural school occupied the building for almost 60 years, dividing rooms with partition walls and turning the palace chapel into dormitory washrooms.

What to look for

• Coats of arms above the entrance – fragments of the cartouches of the Donnersmarcks and of Laura von Kaszonyi, Hugo's second wife. Legend says the palace was built for her, but it was finished a year after his first wife's death, so the story is unlikely.
• The wooden staircase with its carved balustrade, and fragments of original panelling in the hall.
• A painted ceiling discovered by chance in one ground-floor room during the 2010–2012 renovation.
• The Donnersmarcks' armoured safe, built into a wall – now part of the exhibition "Glory of the House of Henckel von Donnersmarck".
• The landscape park, attributed to Peter Joseph Lenné, with three entrance gates.

Visiting (as of October 2026)

• October to April: Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–17:00 (last entry 16:15); May to September until 18:00. Closed on Mondays.
• Standard ticket PLN 20, reduced PLN 15, family PLN 45; audio guide PLN 5. Cards accepted.
• Private guide: PLN 80 in Polish, PLN 100 in English – book in advance.
• Address: ul. Parkowa 1, Nakło Śląskie (Świerklaniec municipality).

Tripto tip

Drive in from ul. Główna through the gate by the former guardhouse – the first one coming from Tarnowskie Góry; a large car park is just inside on the right. Allow 1.5 hours for the palace and a walk in the park. Check the Centre's website before you go – the palace is occasionally closed to visitors for private events.