Palace Estate

The Palace Estate on Prymasowska Street in Skierniewice is part of an extensive palace and park complex known as Pałac Prymasowski. The grounds occupy 30 hectares and have been linked to the city's history for four centuries as a former residence of the Primate-Archbishops of Gniezno.

Origins of the residence

The palace and park complex was established in 1610-1619. Its construction was initiated by Primates Wojciech Baranowski and Wawrzyniec Gębicki, after Skierniewice received city rights in 1457. For centuries thereafter, the palace served as a summer residence for successive heads of the Polish Church.

Renovations and the last resident

In the 18th century the building was repeatedly repaired and rebuilt. The palace acquired its present Neo-Renaissance form in 1780 according to a design by Efraim Schroeger. The last Primate-Archbishop of Gniezno to reside in Skierniewice was Ignacy Krasicki, better known as a poet and author of fables than as an ecclesiastical administrator of Church estates.

Present-day use

The entire complex currently belongs to the Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice, which conducts scientific activity here related to plant cultivation. Despite its institutional character, the grounds remain open to visitors, particularly during the Night of Museums and the Skierniewice Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Festival, when the palace estate and adjacent gardens attract the largest number of visitors.

Walk around the area

A few hundred metres further on, on Piłsudskiego Street, stands the eclectic Kozłowski Villa from 1893, now home to the municipal Registry Office. Within the same grounds, it is also worth looking for the Skierniewice Waterfall, a less obvious point on a walking route through the park.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Prymasowska 17b, 96-100 Skierniewice
• Getting there: Skierniewice city centre, city buses, parking on Prymasowska and Piłsudskiego Streets
• What to expect: extensive park and palace grounds managed by the Institute of Horticulture, particularly attractive during the Night of Museums and flower festival, it is worth confirming precise opening hours and visiting rules before your visit