Wilanów Palace: Legacy of King Jan III Sobieski

(25 reviews)

Warsaw audio tour: Wilanów Palace: Legacy of King Jan III Sobieski

This is a 2.2mi walking tour

It takes an average of 75 mins to complete.

Warsaw

Poland

$8.99

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About the Tour

Wilanów Palace is Poland's Little Versailles, the home of its greatest King, Jan III Sobieski, a legendary man of many virtues, talents and interests.

Classically educated, he was a writer, a formidable warrior, a leader, statesman, gardener, and patron of the arts, science and culture. He was a man who loved his family, God and country and sought peace to develop and uplift his people during his golden era.

Yet when peace was threatened, he was a man with a talent for war.

For the next 60 minutes, we will explore the Palace complex together, learn its story and reveal secrets discovered by archaeologists and researchers only a few years ago. There is so much to know about the early history of Wilanów, its majestic landscape, its artistry and deep symbolism, and the legendary battle that shaped European history and established King Jan as a truly heroic figure; the man that embodies the spirit of the Polish nation and inspires his people today.

King Jan loved nature, which is why he built his home here, away from busy Warsaw's Royal Palace. Come to know for yourself the natural beauty he cared about so much; walk the paths he walked, see what he saw as we look out over the landscapes he loved, cherished and celebrated during his life.

To see images from the tour please go to this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/a7VMJjNHeWiueHfy6

Tour Producer

Lloyd De Jongh

3 tours

Born and raised in Cape Town, I've visited 30 countries and 200 cities. After 11 years in amazing Dubai I am now resident in incredible Warsaw, Poland. I'm both a certified South Africa and Poland tourism specialist, a PADI rescue diver, an ex-bodyguard, a decent photographer, have TripAdvisor Level 6 and Google Local Guides Level 9 status. I'm a certified commercial drone pilot in Poland and a licensed tour guide in South Africa.

Poland is now my home, I love learning and sharing its stories.

I speak English, Afrikaans, German, passable Flemish and Dutch, and now learning Polish.

Preview Location

Location 1

Saint Anne's Church at Wilanów

[Opening - excerpt of Polish National Anthem]

Welcome to Wilanów! This famous royal residence was home to King Jan III Sobieski, Poland's most famous king. Sometimes called "Little Versailles", this breathtaking architectural monument blends European art with Polish traditi... [Opening - excerpt of Polish National Anthem]

Welcome to Wilanów! This famous royal residence was home to King Jan III Sobieski, Poland's most famous king. Sometimes called "Little Versailles", this breathtaking architectural monument blends European art with Polish tradition. It survived two world wars and the Polish partitions.

Twice in history, the Poles saved Europe from a terrible fate. In 1920 there was the "Miracle on the Vistula", where Lenin's Red army, intent on imposing Communism on all of Europe, was at the gates of Warsaw. Polish forces under the command of Marshall Józef Pilsudski defeated the Red Army, saving a war-battered Europe.

The 2nd time was when King Sobieski defeated an army of Ottoman Turks besieging Vienna on September 11th, 1683. He led the largest cavalry charge in history, freed Europe from invasion and becoming one of Poland's greatest heroes.

King Sobieski wasn't only a military man or political figure, he loved history, art, culture, science, and nature - all of which are found in Wilanów. Stanisław Potocki, a polymath, avid art collector, archaeologist, critic, and art historian deserves the credit for creating the museum in Wilanów. On 5th August 1805 the interior of the palace, with its famous art collection, opened to the public.

I am Lloyd De Jongh. A South African, I visited Poland for many years before deciding to settle in this amazing country. As we explore the beauty of the palace grounds I will tell you some of the incredible stories from Poland's history.

You should be outside the gorgeous Saint Anne's Church, opposite the Restaurant Wilanów.

A church has stood on this site since the 14th-century wooden church of St. Leonard. It was replaced with this brick one in 1772. It is now a Polish national monument, and worth a visit should you have time.

Let's get going.

Turn so the restaurant is on your right, church on your left, and walk to the pathway between the low red brick walls just ahead.

While you walk, I'll briefly explain how VoiceMap works.

It uses your location to play audio automatically, at the right time and place. This means that you can put your phone away if you want. There will be times when I'm silent, but as you arrive at various locations, I will give directions or tell stories about the sights you see. There's a map on your screen if you feel lost, and if you do get way off track, VoiceMap will let you know.

Keep going. You'll hear from me shortly. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

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Major Landmarks

Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów
Restauracja Wilanów
Kościół pw. św. Anny
Belfry at St. Anne in Wilanow
Domek Lanciego / Scriptorium Villa Nova
Kasa Muzeum Pałacu Króla Jana III w Wilanowie
Potocki Mausoleum
Budynek kordegardy przy pałacu w Wilanowie.
Poster Museum
Baroque Garden
Wilanów Water Station
Wilanów Palace Boat Pier
Wilanów Park
Chinese Gazebo
Roman bridge
Rezerwat Przyrody Morysin
Domek dozorcy
Monument to the Battle of Raszyn
Eagle Column

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Kolegiacka 1, 02-958 Warszawa, Poland
Total distance

4km
Final location
52.16588824, 21.09037265
Distance back to start location

253.63m

Directions to Starting Point

We start in front of St Anne's church in Wilanów. It stands just outside the Royal Palace. Buy a 5 PLN ticket at the ticket office or the vending machines at the garden entrance.

Start GPS: 52.166105° 21.086548°
End GPS: 52.165938° 21.090354°

If you're coming from central Warsaw, the area near Złote Tarasy mall, the Palace of Culture and Science or Warsaw Central Station, take the #519 bus (15 stops) at the main bus/train station, from the lane closest to the mall.

Other buses on the same route are #131 (20 stops) and #200 (23 stops).

There should be a bus every 15 minutes. The journey will be ~32 minutes and cost PLN4.40 - a 75-minute ticket will suffice.

From the Wilanów stop, next to the Wilanów cemetery, cross the street to reach the Palace complex. The starting point is left of the Palace.

The same bus stop will return you to Warsaw. Uber is also a good option.

For detailed public transport info use https://jakdojade.pl/warszawa/trasa/ to get info on all your public transport options.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Wilanów Palace Courtyard, Royal Gardens and Landscape Parks. Eagle Column, Roman Bridge, Chinese Pagoda, Akademos' Grove, Potocki Mausoleum, The Island

Best time of day

Access to the courtyard of the palace is free of charge from 9 a.m. - until the closing time of the park.

The palace itself opens at 9.30am. In winter it is best to start by 2pm at latest to end before it becomes too dark for photos or further sightseeing.

Last entry is as early as 3pm, and as late as 5pm or even 9.30pm. Close is as early as 4pm and as late as 10pm. Please check the web link below for the times. They vary by day and season.

Various holidays, maintenance or public events can cause potential interruptions to parts of the route. Check their official web site to be sure. This link is to their opening hours and visitor notices:

http://www.wilanow-palac.art.pl/opening_hours.html

The palace is closed for visitors on the following days: Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, Corpus Christi Day, 15th August, 1st November, from 16th December 2019 until 12th January 2020.

Online bookings:

http://www.wilanow-palac.art.pl/ticket_booking.html

Precautions

Please stick to the route, even though shortcuts may be possible. In winter the ground can become very wet, slippery and muddy. Going off the path can result in you ending up ankle deep in freezing water or mud.

In autumn and winter Poland is rather cold, with temperatures approaching 0° C / 32 °F or lower. Wear warm clothes, gloves, a scarf and a cap. In summer it can rain unexpectedly, so check the weather in advance and prepare accordingly.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”