Castle in Krasiczyn

The castle in Krasiczyn from the late 16th and early 17th century is one of the most fascinating landmarks representing Renaissance and Mannerist architecture in Poland. In the past, the keys to the Krasiczyn residence were owned by a succession of remarkable families, i.e. the Krasicki, the Modrzewski, the Wojakowski, the Tarłowie, the Mniszech-Potocki, Piniński and finally from 1835 the Sapieha family.

The construction of the castle was initiated in the late 16th century by Stanisław Krasicki, Castellan of Przemyśl, a descendant of the Mazovian noble family of the Rogala coat of arms who arrived here in the 16th century. Later, Marcin Krasicki, one of the most prominent patrons of the arts in Poland at the time, transformed the simple defensive castle built by his father into a grand residence.

Despite numerous fires and wars, the castle has retained the silhouette which it received in the early 17th century. The walls of the building with a quadrilateral layout were designed to face the four sides of the world. The four cylindrical towers in the corners: Divine, Papal, Royal and Noblemen’s, were intended to reflect the hierarchy of the world. They are the dominant features in the castle design. A quadrilateral clock tower with a tall cupola was built between the Divine and Papal towers. In the first half of the 17th century, the Castle Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was added.

The large rectangular courtyard is surrounded by residential wings to the north and east. To the south and west there are curtain walls ending with beautiful openwork attics. In the middle of the western wing you can see a forecourt with a gate and a square Clock Tower. This was the entrance of a road leading through a drawbridge and later a stone bridge from the town which once existed nearby. The particularly noteworthy features include the unique sgraffito decorations embellishing the outer walls. It is estimated they cover a total of 7,000 square metres.

Over the centuries, Krasiczyn Castle also witnessed colourful royal processions accompanying the kings Sigismund III Vasa, Ladislaus IV, John Casimir II and August II. You can see images of these monarch, as well as other Polish rulers on the walls of the courtyard which were decorated using sgraffito technique.

It was in this majestic castle in Krasiczyn that one of the most eminent representatives of the Sapieha family Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, was born on 14 May 1867.  In fact, Karol Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II, was ordained as a priest by him.

The castle is surrounded by one of the most beautiful landscaped parks in Poland. The oldest components of the park layout date back to the 17th century. Even in those times the residence of the Krasicki family on the eastern side was adjoined by a sumptuous garden.

The large park (14.5 hectares) surrounding the Krasiczyn castle looks wonderful at any time of the year; in winter, when it is covered with white rime, and in spring, when plants awaken to life. In summer, it provides a delightful natural refuge from the sun. In autumn it reveals impressionistic scenery with the trees reflecting a constantly-changing palette of colours in the sunlight.

The layout of the park and the plants which you can see here today are a result of the inventiveness of the former owners who were passionate travellers and brought here many exotic species of shrubs and trees. Besides, the Sapieha family also celebrated the birth of their children by planting trees, an oak for the boy and a lime tree for the girl. Today you can admire here a multitude of rare and protected plants, including 200 species of trees and shrubs from all over the world, such as London plane and maidenhair tree. According to a local tradition, your most secret dreams will come true if you walk around the maidenhair tree three times. If you then continue a walk through the park you will fall in love with the purple colours of Eurasian smoketrees,  the yellow-painted tulip tree in bloom, and the white flowers of the kobushi magnolia. During the stroll in the park you will also hear the lovely chirping and singing of birds inhabiting this area in large numbers.

The tour leads to the castle courtyard, the crypt in the Divine Tower, the hunter’s loft, the chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the exhibition rooms. You can also climb the Clock Tower, and you can go down to the castle dungeon and the Room of Tortures. You can only visit the castle with a guide. The tours are organised for groups of at least five people.

The history of Krasiczyn castle is veiled in mystery. To find out more about the past events you should take a night tour of the castle with a butler as a guide. At dusk, you will meet the butler in the courtyard by the fire. His tales about the Krasiczyn castle will take you to distant times. You will hear the legends connected with the place, and you may even encounter the ghost of the White Lady.

The beautiful Renaissance Castle, the picturesque scenery and the majestic park create a perfect setting for your vacation. Parts of the Castle in Krasiczyn and other buildings in the park have been adapted to provide a variety of hospitality services.

Today the castle is a hotel and a conference centre. It is an excellent place to hold a convention or a training session, as well as business meetings, team-building meetings and other events. There are five multifunctional rooms with conference equipment and Internet access.

It also happens frequently that on Saturday afternoons colourful wedding processions arrive here. The fairytale scenery of the Renaissance castle with the lovely park around provides a wonderful setting for a wedding reception or a unique photo session. In fact the Young Couple can choose to hold their wedding ceremony at the Castle Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an excellent place to make marriage vows.