A Walk through Łazienki

Last Sunday I finally made it over to Łazienki Park, which is one of the few things I still had unchecked on my Warsaw to-do list. The park is gigantic, about 188 acres of Warsaw, and formerly were the summer palace-park complex of the King of Poland. Though the park and its complexes suffered some damage during the Warsaw Uprising, several parts were preserved, and the grounds are absolutely gorgeous. If you're in Warsaw, I highly recommend taking several hours of your schedule to enjoy the beauty of this natural gem. 


Since the park is so large, it's difficult to find everything hidden within it, though, during my afternoon there, I went and saw the Chopin Monument and Palace on the Isle. 


The Chopin Monument is an interesting artistic piece.  It was designed in 1907 byWacław Szymanowski for planned erection on the centenary of Chopin's birth in 1910, but its execution was delayed by controversy about the design, then by the outbreak of World War I. The statue was finally cast and erected in 1926, and stands in the middle of beautiful gardens today. On summer Sundays you can also enjoy Chopin music by the statue. While I didn't stay for it this time around, it's on my to do list for my last Sunday in Warsaw. 

The Chopin Monument Łazienki Park

Julie and I on our Sunday in Łazienki

From the Chopin statue, I went downhill, past the Orangery and the White House, to the Palace on the Isle. The Palace was originally built in the 17th century by architect Tylman van Gameren for Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski as a bath house. Between 1772 and 1793 it was remodeled by Domenico Merlini for King Stanisław August Poniatowski, who made it his summer residence. During the Russian Rule of Warsaw, the Palace was home to the Romanov's who also did some renovations. The Palace on the Water was burned after the 1944 Warsaw Uprising by the Germans, but German plans to blow up the palace were never carried out. It was rebuilt after World War II and remains a beautiful eclectic display of the history of Warsaw. 

Beautiful sculpture in Łazienki Park

The Palace on the Isle at Łazienki Park

An example of the beautiful artwork in the Palace on the Isle

original Dutch tile work from when Palace was a bath house

It was truly a lovely Sunday in the park. For a finale, Julie and I went to the Blikle Cafe for lunch and pączek (a delicious Polish jelly doughnut). The Blikle is the oldest cafe in Warsaw, dating back to 1869. It's a beautiful old cafe (and absolutely delicious). 

I enjoyed the rather lazy Sunday, especially after the busy week(end) with the AMMFs. I still am completely in awe that my time in Warsaw is almost over--two weeks today until I fly home! I hope the weather keeps up, as I have lots of sightseeing planned these last two weekends.