Palace in Rudołtowice

The palace in Rudołtowice is an 18th-century Rococo residence, probably built in 1752 by Count Józef Zborowski. It stands in a complex with an outbuilding, a former manorial forge and a park.

The shape of the building

The palace, of plastered brick, has one upper floor and a usable attic under a mansard roof. The longer façades have seven bays each, with central projections, and in the front pediment are cartouches with the coats of arms Jastrzębiec (of the Zborowski family) and Ostoja. Inside, behind the entrance hall, is a ceremonial double-flight staircase. The palace is very similar to the Zborowski family seat in Zborów.

The park and earlier history

An English-style park adjoins the palace on the west; old oaks and lime trees have survived in it. The palace was inhabited by successive owners of the local estate, and at the beginning of the 20th century by the managers of the estates of the Prince of Pszczyna. After the Pless princes' estates were parcelled out, the state took it over; it housed, among other things, a hostel for young workers regulating the Vistula, a folk high school and a preventorium for children.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Aleksandra Zawadzkiego 128, Rudołtowice (Pszczyna municipality).
• The building is used as an educational and rehabilitation centre for children, so viewing is limited to the outside; check the rules of access with the manager.
• It is about 5 km from here to Pszczyna Castle.