The Museum includes the Radziwiłł Palace with its garden in Nieborów, and the Romantic Garden of Helena Radziwiłł in Arkadia.
The Museum includes the Radziwiłł Palace with its garden in Nieborów, and the Romantic Garden of Helena Radziwiłł in Arkadia. Designed by Tylman of Gameren for the Primate Michał Stefan Radziejewski, the Baroque palace has retain its original shape to this day. Its next owner was Michał Hieronim Radziwiłł, governor of Vilnius, and he had it redecorated to aristocratic standards, gathering a wonderful collection of Western paintings. The palace is now a museum of interior design of palace residences of the 17th to the 19th century, based on the surviving furniture and collections, featuring portraits of eminent personalities of the era, several thousand drawings, books (from the 16th century), porcelain and textiles.
On behalf of the governor, prominent Saxon-era architect Szymon Bogumił Zug expanded the magnificent park (developed earlier by Tylman of Gameren), which is almost unchanged to this day. Dominated by native species of trees, notable nonetheless are two plane trees planted around 1770. As a typical Baroque garden (in the French style), the Nieborów park has symmetrically-shaped flowerbeds, low boxwood labyrinths and a large lime tree swathed in a carpet of lush green lawn, all laid out according to the axis of the palace. The park also includes greenhouses, stables and the Hunting Pavilion (Pawilon Myśliwski), which now houses guest rooms.
Arkadia, located near Nieborów, was initiated by the wife of Michał Hieronim, Helena Radziwiłł. Designed in accordance with the then-prevailing fashion, the romantic Arkadia park was considered then, and still is now, to be one of the most beautiful romantic gardens in Europe. It was designed by Szymon Bogumił Zug, with a huge personal commitment in the project and an interesting involvement with the princess. Particularly notable is the princess’ passion for collections, as Arkadia is adorned with various monuments, including antiques (such as the famous head of Niobe).
Branch of the National Museum in Warsaw
Location: 80 km west of Warsaw.
Access by private transportation.