Maria Dąbrowska’s manor and the natural history museum of old Kalisz folk architecture in Russów,

The idea of establishing Open-Air Museum mainly devoted to Maria Dąbrowska and folk architecture that is essential to Kalisz area was developed in the 60’s (20th century). Then, quick changes in folk architecutre began to take place and some kind of conservation was needed. All of the buildings were habited so their overall condition was excellent.

  This is where Maria Dąbrowska was born, spent her childhood and youth. Back then Maria’s father was in charge of the the manor house of Maria Dąbrowska in Russów. Half of the buildings were brought from different villages around Kalisz, for example a peasant homesteads that date to the 19th century and enrich the cultural and visual value of the surrounding area. Nowadays, the park has magnificent shape and attracts large number of tourists every year.

 A stunning path surrounded by chestnut tree alley and four hectares of land is rich in different kind of trees, numerous flowers and ornamental bushes leads to the one storey building ,where the musesum of Maria Dąbrowska is located, Its interior is fully furnished with original period-pieces, old furniture, tools and ornaments to reproduce the way peasant family of the 19th century lived.There is a old barn with equipment that was used for farming and to cultivate different cereals,plants and vegetables.

 Visitors can also admire a fanning mill ( it removed straw, chaff, stones, dirt and dust, weed seeds, and light immature seeds from wheat, oats, rye, barley, and other grains ) and tools used to breed cattle and poultry.To show people incredibly interesting and rich culture of Wielkopolska region and the lifestyle of landed gentry in Russow during 19th and 20th century, special festivals and events are organised. 

It is a great way to get to know the local culture and craft that is characteristic to the region, meet people that cultivate traditions and keep the spirit of the place alive. What is more, since 4th of July 2004, there is special event (it starts on the first Sunday of June and is held every other week from 2 pm. to 6pm.) at the museum that is named “Niedziela u Niechciców”. It allows people to visit the museum completely for free, try food that was cooked during the period when Dąbrowska lived, listen to folk music and purchase craftwork including beautifully decorated hats and ceramics from talented vendors.

Address:

Russów 49

62-817 Żelazków

tel. no. +48 62 769 12 65

Entry : Free

The Japanese Garden- oriental accent in the heart of Wrocław

The Japanese Garden- oriental accent in the heart of Wrocław

The Japanese Garden is located in 

Szczytnicki Park, next to the Centennial Hall.

A little bit of history…

The Japanese Garden was built on the occasion of World’s fair which took place in 1913 in the Centennial Hall in Wrocław. The idea of the garden came from the fanatic of Japan- count Fritz von Hochberg and the master of Japanese art- Mankich Arai.

Unfortunately, when the fair was over, the garden was also closed and deprived of its oriental character. Only paths, the hill and the pond left.

Over 60 years later, the authorities got interested in the garden again- the pond was filled up and the fountain was built.

Just in 1994, the garden was truly rebuilt. The authorities of Wrocław asked the Japanese Embassy in Warsaw to help to recreate the garden. Within three years they recreated it and brought a Japanese character of this place back.

Present

So beautiful and inspiring is the garden that visitors not only from Wrocław but also from all over the country and world come there to admire its beauty.

It is that kind of place where you can fully relax. You can walk around the garden or sit by the pond and just lay back. Not only is it a perfect place for fanatics of Japanese culture, but also for ordinary habitants who are looking for peace, repose and place close to the nature.

The garden is opened from April to October, that is why it is an ideal destination for spring and summer trips when you want to walk and relax.

Inside the garden…

• Paths

The garden is a combination of a few types of gardens: public, water, connected with ceremony of drinking tea and a stony beach. The first path leads along pond’s shores from a lenient female rapid “Onna-daki” to a sharp male rapid “Otoko-daki”. The second path leads across an arched bridge “Taiko Bashi” to tea pavillon “Azumaya”. If you want to feel close to the Japanese culture, you can go along the second path and see the ceremony of infusing tea and taste it.

        

So, you can choose which path you want to go, but both are equally beautiful and worth seeing.

• Flora

There are a few levels of trees. The highest one is created by for example: pendunculate oaks, conker trees , maidenhair trees and golden larch. In the lower one are for example: yews and rhodies. In the lowest level, there are 78 species of Asian plants, including 38 Japanese ones. There are for example: flowering ferns, ostrich ferns, sweet flags, lily-of-the-valleys, yellow water-lilies and white water roses.

Practical information

Address:

• Mickieiwcza Street, 51-618 Wrocław

Opening hours:

• 9:00-19:00 (1^st of April - 31^st of October)

Prices of tickets:

• normal:  4 PLN (adults)
• half fare:  2 PLN (children, students, seniors, invalids)
• annual:  20 PL
• photo session:  100 PLN (bridal, fashion, occasional etc.)

Map:

Książ Castle in Wałbrzych

                        KSIĄŻ CASTLE  

View from vantage point

It is located in Książański National Park in Wałbrzych.

Książ Castle was known since 1288. It was changing its owners very quickly. It was owned by Piasts, Luxembourgs, Hungarian king, Hochbergs, the Nazi regine, the Russian Army and finally the Wałbrzych district government. 

 Książ Castle is one of the biggest castles in Europe. It's the third biggest castle in Poland and the biggest one in South Silesia. The history of this castle is really interesting. 

View from the front

On top of that, there are a lot of unanswered questions and tales sourounding it. In 1891 Princess Daisy ( the most famous figure) was living there. Her name is Duchess Maria Teresa Olivia Hochberg von Pless. Daisy married wealthy Prince Hans Heinrich XV Pless Hochberg. Wedding took place at London's Westminster Abbey, and the witness was Edward, Prince of Wales. The similarity of beauty, views and fate made that people often compare Daisy to Princess Diana. She is known from her tales and stories which are told until these days. One of them says that in the ruins of the Old Książ Castle, which is located near the new one, her ghost appears everyday at midnight in blue cape and cries.

View from the back left side

View from the front left side

The castle for centuries belonged to the powerful family of Hochberg. During this time the castle was visited by the most prosperous people in the world: prince couples, magnates, throne successors, but also John Quincy Adams, the future president of the United States and Tsar Nicholas I. When family fell into debt, prince was forced to make the castle accessible for tourists - mansion was annually visited by over 80 thousand people.

View from the back side

Within the castle there are a lot of attractions. You can visit it during the day or during the night. You only pay to enter the castle itself and the terraces.   

An additional attractions are castle stables, coach house and an indoor arena, one of the finest halls of its kind in Europe, built entirely of larch wood without any nails. 

The Goddness Flora Terrace 

The Middle Terrace

The Water Terrace

The Rose Terrace

The castle is in the middle of beautiful forests and views.

View from the Terrace

The terraces also contain a lot of unique flowers.

At the exit of the terraces there is an Old Forge.

You can see incredible landscapes without even buying a ticket because the road to the Castle is very long but it doesn’t mean that it’s boring. It is full with different kinds of species of plants. They are all signed. You can also visit the stable which is free as well. If you are not planning on visiting the castle, you can easily bring your dog with you. After entering the gate you will see restaurants. On the castle grounds there is also a hotel.

The road to the Castle

Terrace at the front of the Gate

The Gate

Restaurants

Książ Castle has a Palm House which contains over 250 species of plants which are from climate zones. It was found by the Hochberg dynasty for Princess Daisy. The building has taken place between 1908 and 1911. It is located in different spot but it is easy to find because of the signs.

Opening hours in day time with the tickets:

1.04 to 30.09—Mon-Fri:10a.m.-5p.m./Sat-Sun:10a.m.-6p.m.

1.10 to 31.03—Mon-Fri:10a.m.-3p.m./Sat-Sun:10a.m.-4 p.m.

->TOUR WITH A GUIDE is only in Polish language and it costs 350zł or 250zł, it contains visiting the Castle, Terraces and the Palm House.

-> TOUR WITHOUT A GUIDE, you can visit the Castle, Palm House, Terraces on its own for 30zł or 20zł, when adding the Stable you will pay 5zł more, when you want to visit only Terraces and Palm House you'll pay 20zł or 10zł.

->KSIĄŻ CASTLE BY NIGHT, it is usually on Fridays or Saturdays but you have to book in advance to find out the date. You will pay 55zł or 60zł.

For more details check the official site of Książ Castle.



Written by MW 2LAS
Photos by MW 2LAS

DOLINA BARYCZY - THE BREATHTAKING NATURE

The land over the lazy water, which flows for about 133 km, begins its journey in Ostrów Wielkopolski and ends in Wyszanów where it joins the Odra River. We can surely call it the paradise on Earth for all nature lovers, but also for people interested in history. The question is, what we can not find there because that land is rich not only in nature but also in magnificent palaces, churches, tenements and cottages. That is all surrounded by parks which “play with colours” every season. Maybe, except winter, but believe me, the snowy landscape is also breathtaking. In Dolina Baryczy we can find the second largest nature reserve called “Stawy Milickie”. In the pictures posted below you can see the charming side of it. What is important, when talking about sightseeing, is the fact that everywhere we can get on foot, by bike or even by kayak (what can be really exciting and it can be a great opportunity to see all this good from different point of view).

When we go over Dolina Baryczy with a fine-tooth comb we should not forget about “the Birdwatching” which is currently a popular way to spend our free time, it is kind of a hobby, really relaxing, by the way. In the sanctuary, we can observe a lot of different species of birds, for example white-tailed eagle, black stork, hoopoe, gray heron and more. Talking about animals, we should mention the European beaver or otter, for which, the presence of water is like the Eden.

When it comes to plants, all water plants like Nymphoides peltata (grzebieńczyk wodny) or Nuphar lutea (grążel żólty), can be noticed everywhere.

Now, let’s move to the monuments. First of all, I would like to mention the palace, called “Pałac Myśliwski Książąt Radziwiłłów” in Antonin. Surrounded by a beautiful park and designed in English style. It invites the guests to walk and marvel the rich nature. It is one of the best place to calm down and eat breakfast listening singing birds.

The next monuments we can visit is Kościół Łaski in Milicz, famous for its 46 meters high tower, 

and Chata Regionalna in Przygodzice. There we can find the tourist information office, but also we can enrich our knowledge of the history of the Dolina Baryczy and the villages placed in the neighbourhood because of the museum located there.

Below, in the pictures, you can also see more nature monuments. For example: Stawy Ruda Sułowska, Łąki odolanowskie and Dęby Antonińskie.

And finally, I would like to write about the legend, famous in this region. In Olsza we can find the oak, which is coadunate with the pine tree. As the legend says, it used to be lovers, who were changed by the witches.

I would like to invite you to see the breathtaking nature which Dolina Baryczy is. Everyone can find something for themselves. We can rest there, take pictures and so on.

 But what is really important? That we should protect it, not damage it.

written by: AK 2LAS
photographs by: AK 2LAS