Trzebiatów Palace

Trzebiatów Palace (Trzebiatów is pronounced roughly "tsheh-BYAH-toof") is a neoclassical residence on the Rega River in northwestern Poland, about 30 km southwest of the Baltic resort of Kołobrzeg. Built on the site of a medieval stronghold, a convent and a ducal castle, it now houses the town's cultural center with a small palace museum. Its guest list is remarkable: a future king of Württemberg, a future Russian empress and a pioneering Polish novelist all lived here.

Where it is and how to get there

The palace stands at ul. Wojska Polskiego 67, about five minutes' walk from the market square, beside the Młynówka millrace. Trzebiatów has a station on the regional line between Kołobrzeg and Goleniów, and Szczecin-Goleniów Airport is the nearest airport. Drivers take regional road 102 from Kołobrzeg.

History in brief

In 1224 the estate belonged to Duchess Anastasia, widow of Duke Bogislaw I of Pomerania, who handed it to the Premonstratensian order; around 1285 Norbertine nuns moved into the former ducal seat. After the Reformation the Griffin dukes turned the convent into a Renaissance castle (1560). From 1618/1619 Duchess Sophia of Schleswig-Holstein, widow of Duke Philip II, lived here for some forty years. After a fire in 1679 the building was rebuilt for the Brandenburg electors.

In 1750 Prince Frederick Eugene of Württemberg, a Prussian officer, moved in. His son, later King Frederick I of Württemberg, was born in Trzebiatów, and his daughter Sophie Dorothea, the future Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, grew up here. From 1785 to 1790 the palace was home to Maria Wirtemberska née Czartoryska, author of one of the first Polish novels. Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher, later famous at Waterloo, had his headquarters here in 1808–1811, according to the cultural center.

Later uses ranged from offices to an agricultural school and, after 1945, border guard barracks. A general renovation ran from 1977 to 1989.

What to see

• The Palace Hall (Sień Pałacowa) and the Ducal Hall (Sala Książęca),
• the exhibition "Trzebiatów on the Rega" on local history,
• the Feininger Gallery, named after the painter Lyonel Feininger and used for temporary shows (it holds none of his works),
• a regional room with everyday objects, and the Wędrowiec café.

Allow about an hour. Audio guides can be rented; the website does not say which languages they cover. The museum also runs workshops for children and adults, and the palace houses the public library named after Maria Wirtemberska.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.
• Adults 15 PLN, reduced 11 PLN; children under 7 free; family ticket (2+1 or more) 8 PLN.
• Audio guide rental 10 PLN.
• Contact: +48 91 38 72 614, tok@trzebiatow.pl.

Nearby

The market square with its 1701 town hall and Gothic St. Mary's Church are a short walk away. In summer the palace courtyard hosts the "Sąsiady" (Neighbors) festival of cultures. The beach at Mrzeżyno is about 10 km north.