Pławniowice Palace
The Ballestrem Palace in Pławniowiceimpresses with its architecture and unusual style. A beautiful red brick and a sloping graphite roof decorated with numerous turrets are the hallmarks of the local palace. The interiors of this beautiful, unique building can be visited, although only for a few hours a week, also check the current information on the page below before you go here. The palace is surrounded by a small, but well-maintained park, to which admission, as well as to the interiors, is paid.
Pławniowice Palace - Dutch neo-Momanierism
The palace in Pławniowice is a unique and wonderful building representing the style of Dutch neo-Omerianism. It is three-winged and varied in color. Stone details and red brick walls are extremely interesting. The roofs of the building are decorated with numerous towers and turrets, spires and dormers.
The famous Plawniowice complex consists not only of a palace, which additionally houses the chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but also of farm buildings. There is also an outbuilding with a stable and carriage house. All buildings are maintained in the same style, with neo-Gothic additions.
The whole is surrounded by a magnificent landscape park. The palace itself is overgrown with flowering shrubs and a great magnolia, which look beautiful in spring🙂 The palace and park complex is fenced and available for tourists to visit for a fee. You can buy tickets only for the park, or additionally for the palace interiors. The palace looks very nice from the outside, but it is also worth looking inside, then you have to plan the trip, because the interiors are available only on selected days of the week.
Interiors of the palace
Although from the outside the palace makes an amazing impression, because it is really beautiful, it is also worth taking a look inside 🙂 We visited it for the first time during the Industriad, i.e. the Festival of the Route of Technical Monuments. This time, we managed to aim again so as to pass through the magnificent rooms of the palace.
There is a magnificentstaircase and several interestingly arranged rooms upstairs. You will see, among others, the Count's Cabinet, the former dining room, and today a concert hall, the representative GreenRoom or the Pink Room arranged in the Rococo style. Furniture and decor from the era blend beautifully with the interior of the monument. In one of the rooms, you can admire souvenirs from missionary expeditions, brought, among others, from Africa.
Green Room
In the Green Room, an ornate ceiling with stucco immediately catches the eye, but also a magnificent ceramic fireplace from 1884. Above the fireplace hangs a painting by Giovanni Ballestrero - the ancestor of the Silesian line of the Italian Ballestrem family, who thus Germanized the Italian surname. In the middle of the hall there is a huge table - an original piece of furniture from the former palace dining room. In addition, polychromes are noticeable here.
Palace chapel in Pławniowice
The chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is adjacent to the palace in Pławniowice. Unfortunately, it is not always open, but you can come here for the service and admire its interior at the same time. It's quite modest, but very nice. Currently, the chapel in Pławniowice serves as a parish church.
Initially, from 1317, when the village of Pławniowice was first mentioned, the village belonged to the parish of Rudno. It was so until the end of World War II. From 1945, Pławniowice became an independent parish, and it was then administered by Fr. Franciszek Pawlar. The parish was then assigned a wing of the palace with the palace chapel and remains so to this day.
The rest of the palace was occupied by the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, who came from Lviv. The monastery functioned here until 1976. Today, it houses the Education and Formation Center of the Diocese of Gliwice.
History of the palace in Pławniowice
Pławniowice was first mentioned in 1317, but the village gained its importance only in 1737. Then the knights' goods were bought by John Paul II von Stechow - the first governor of the Gliwice-Toszec county after the occupation of Silesia by Prussia. In 1798, the estate passed into the hands of Count Charles Francis von Ballestrem.
His mother was Maria Elisabeth Augusta von Stechow, and his father was Giovanni Battista Angelo Ballestrero. He is the progenitor of the Silesian line of the Ballestrem family - an officer of the Prussian army from Italy, who Germanized his surname. This family managed the estate of Pławniowice until January 1945 and created its ancestral seat here.
This is how today's magnificent palace was built at the requestof Count Francis II Ballestrem in 1882-85, on the site of an earlier, smaller palace from 1737. It became a beautiful family residence until Mikołaj Ballestrem had to flee from the Red Army. During World War II, Soviet troops destroyed its interiors, but the body of the palace remained intact. Later, it passed into the hands of the church and it remains so to this day. Probably because a chapel was also built on the site of the palace. Today it is a parish church.
Since 1989, the palace in Pławniowice has been hosted by the Education and Formation Center of the Diocese of Gliwice, and its long-time director, priest Dr. Krystian Worbs, led to a major renovation of the magnificent palace. The entire building has been thoroughly renovated with extraordinary care. Even the windows were reconstructed using the stained-glass technique. Today, it is a permanent trace of the cultural heritage of this region.
Palace in Pławniowice - a well-maintained monument
No wonder that in 2007 the palace and park complex in Pławniowice, as the only one in the Silesian Voivodeship, received an award in the competition of the General Conservator of Monuments "Well-groomed Monument". It's a pleasure to visit and admire this place! Perhaps, in contrast, we will also recommend the entry of the palace in Silesia from Antek's blog in Podróży. Unfortunately, many of them are ruins.
Pławniowice Palace on Instagram
The post about the palace in Pławniowice was very much liked by the recipients on our Instagram profile. There were a lot of hearts and a lot of positive comments. This proves that it is a very interesting place and liked by tourists who like to visit it🙂
Our video
We invite you to watch our video from your stay in Pławniowice.
Experiences near the palace
In the vicinity, it is necessary to walk to Lake Pławniowickie. It is better to reach the beach by car or bicycle in Niewiesze (on-site parking). It is also close to Lake Dzierżno Duże and Lake Dzierżno Małe.
Accommodation
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Practical information
Thepark is open daily 8.00-18.00
The palace interiors are available:
Tue and Thu 14.00-15.30
Sun 12.30-14.30
Tickets to the Park: normal PLN 5, reduced PLN 3
Tickets to the palace interiors: normal PLN 10, reduced PLN 7
Photographing: PLN 15
Current sightseeing hours and ticket prices can be found at:
https://palac.plawniowice.pl/ Parking: near the palace, at the granary, voluntary fee
Palace - Educational and Formation Center of the Diocese of Gliwice
Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
ul. Gliwicka 46, Pławniowice
tel. 32/ 230-55-51
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What's worth seeing in the area?
You don't have to travel far to find more interesting places. Within a radius of 100 kilometers, there are many attractions waiting for you that will certainly enrich your stay Your trip with additional memories.
- Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry, distance: 26.7 km
- Moszna Castle, distance: 50.7 km
- Kapias Gardens in Goczałkowice Zdrój, distance: 59.2 km
- Gródek Park in Jaworzno, distance: 62.2 km
- Błędowska Desert, distance: 75.1 km
- Bobolice Castle, distance: 76.2 km
- Eagle's Nest Trail, distance: 76.5 km
- Palace in Kopice, distance: 78.5 km
- Krakowskie valleys, distance: 92.8 km
- Ojców National Park, distance: 98.3 km
