Gardens

Park in Strzelce Opolskie

The park in Strzelce Opolskie, a historic English-style garden embracing the town from the south, was begun in 1832 at the initiative of Count Andreas Maria Renard, then owner of the Strzelce castle. The count sent his gardener to London to study its parks, and the first part of the layout, the so-called small park, took shape south of the castle; the considerably younger large park is separated from it by Parkowa Street.

The craft of landscape

Both hills in the park are artificial: Chestnut Hill was heaped up from soil dug out when the ponds were excavated, and Temple Hill was likewise raised on purpose. Trees were transplanted with their root balls from nearby forests, and many survive to this day. The small park boasts landmark specimens: copper and white beech, silver maple, plane trees, large-leaved linden, yews, tulip trees and a ginkgo; the large park grows horse chestnuts, white beeches, willows and American white firs.

A walk and its details

In the middle of the pond lies an island where flocks of wild birds take shelter, and nearby stands a huntsman's lodge, known as the forester's house. Footpaths link little bridges and benches, and a playground waits in the central part. By the castle survives the Masztalarnia, the former stables of the count's horses, and deeper in the greenery lie the ruins of the Ischl tower. The park is open around the clock, all year, free of charge; the entrance is on Parkowa Street, a few hundred metres from the market square.