Pałac na Wyspie (Palace on the Isle) is located in the centre of the Łazienki Park, the most magical park of Warsaw. Many people visit the Royal Baths complex just for its green spaces. As a result, the garden paths can be really noisy and crowded, while the villa remains quiet and peaceful. And this is the royal villa on one early spring morning in 2016.
The Palace on the Isle is the largest of the villas created by the king in his favourite residence – it was big enough for receptions and balls. You can see large festive halls on the ground floor and, on the first floor, you will find the private rooms, like bedroom or study.
The private rooms are royally elegant and luxurious but, on the other hand, very intimate and homely. The museum is especially proud about the result of the king’s bedchamber restoration. The works were recently (2016) and it was possible to find the proper shade of the damascus silk, so the room looks like it used to almost 250 years ago. Or, at least, it is very similar: the Polish restorers have reached for inspirations to France and the Maria Antoinette’s bedchambers, as they could not find enough of the local archive info.
However, the elegance is not the only reason I like the first floor of the villa. I simply adore the views from the king’s study and dressing room. A few years ago, I happened to meet Konrad Pustoła – a photographer and an author of a series called “Views of power”. Seeing his work would tell you something about my country and its people in power positions, even today. Some of the views were really depressive, closed and with tight fences. It was not the case of Łazienki and Stanisław August Poniatowski: his views were on the beautifully shaped lake and carefully chosen greenery. One could say that it was an artificial paradise and it had nothing to do with reality. Well, Poniatowski was the last king of Poland and Lithuania and his reign ended rather catastrophically as the country lost its independence for 123 years.
To sum up, the villa and the gardens were created with the same principle in mind – to offer delight and elegant amusement for the owners and their guests. If you are lucky, you can enjoy the royal comforts and decadence all for yourself and, perhaps, admire the view of power completely undisrupted – as it happened to me that morning in early spring 2016.
Our service:
The guided sightseeing of the Łazienki complex includes a walk in the gardens and visits to the king’s villas such as the Palace on the Isle or the Old Orangery with an original 18th. century theatre. We provide guides who are licensed for both gardens and villas.
The entrance to the park, and summer Chopin recitals, are free but there is an entrance fee to villas. The ticket price depends on the number of villas you decide to visit.
Tours and stories by Agnieszka Kuś 