Łazienki Park | Sightseeing
Łazienki Park The centrepiece of the Royal Baths: the Palace on the Island.
Anyone who still thinks that Warsaw is a city of cement and concrete has clearly never been to the city’s incomparable Łazienki Park. This glorious 74-hectare green space is one of Warsaw’s unparalleled highlights, adored by locals and visitors alike. In the summer months, seemingly the entire city flocks here on Sundays (don’t worry, it’s so vast it never feels crowded) and in the autumn and winter it becomes an evocative backdrop for twilight trysts with monumental architecture peeking out if the mists. Łazienki is a wonderful place to escape the capital’s modern-day gloom and get lost in its nostalgic past. The full/proper name of today’s park is ‘Łazienki Królewskie,’ which means ‘Royal Baths’ and is derived from the park’s centrepiece and best-known attraction, the Palace on the Island (p.36). The palace was originally built in the 17th century as a private bathhouse for Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, owner of the adjacent Ujazdowski Castle and much of the surrounding land (and much of Poland, come to mention it). The bathhouse was bought by the last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, in 1772 and converted into a private residence (thus taking the name Palace on the Island). It was at this time that the grounds were formally laid out as a private garden, most of the landscaping being carried out to the designs of Karol Ludwig Agricola and Karol
Schultz. Perfect for romantic strolls, family picnics or cultural outings, today the park is packed with gorgeous sculptures, palatial architecture, historical buildings, monuments, museums, bridges, ponds, cafes, restaurants and more. With so much to see and explore, don’t be surprised to find yourself spending the better part of a day here.
Tickets & Info While the park is free to wander and enjoy, Łazienki’s cultural attractions and indoor exhibits require a ticket. To ensure that your pockets don’t fill with litter, there is now only one ticket, available at each site, which provides entry to almost all of the park’s paid sites, currently the Palace on the Island, Old Orangery, Myślewicki Palace and Officer Cadets School. The details of that ticket are listed below and all of those listed sites also have the same opening hours. [Note that the Museum of Hunting & Horsemanship also has the same hours, but a separate ticket is required.] Q J‑11, ul. Agrykola 1, [M] Politechnika, tel. (+48) 22 506 00 28, www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl. Park open 05:00-22:00. Indoor exhibits open 10:00-16:00; Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00-18:00; closed Mon. Combined ticket for attractions, 40/20zł; kids under 7 free; students under 26, 4zł; Fri free. Audioguide 3zł. Guided tours in English 160zł per groups of up to 10 people. 35
