The park and palace complex where half of Warsaw descends on a Sunday to take the traditional family stroll, the name Łazienki means baths and is derived from the park’s centrepiece and best-known attraction, the Palace on the Island. The palace was originally built in the 17th century as a private bathhouse for Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, owner of the adjacent Ujazdowski Castle and much of the surrounding land (and much of Poland, come to mention it). The bathhouse was bought by the last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, in 1772 and converted into a private residence (thus taking the name Palace on the Island). It was at this time that the grounds were formally laid out as a private garden, most of the landscaping being carried out to the designs of Karol Ludwig Agricola and Karol Schultz. Today dotted with many palaces (big and small), summer houses, pavilions, mansions, cafes, restaurants, lakes, a theatre on an island, the most notable features include the Art Nouveau Chopin monument (1926), the Palace on the Island (remodelled in 1792), an Old Orangery and a classicist amphitheatre loosely inspired by Herculaneum. As such, Łazienki offers much to see and to make the best of it you should plan to spend a full day here.

To enter the attractions, you must buy a combined ticket, allowing access to the Palace on the Island, the Old Orangery, Myślewicki Palace, the Officer Cadets School, plus - from May to September only - the White Pavilion and The Water Tower. The ticket costs 40zł for adults, 20zł for seniors, and just 1zł for children under 7 and students under 26. The Botanical Garden requires a separate ticket, as does the Museum of Hunting & Horsemanship.

Łazienki, up until very recently, was further evidence of the fact that many Central Europeans have never quite grasped the idea of what parks are actually for. With superbly kept grass at every turn, perfect for picnics, pick up games of cricket, softball, football or whatever else it is people get up to in parks in the western world, Łazienki once took a very stern ‘look but don’t touch’ attitude when it came to its lawns. That said, the park now allows you to have a picnic on all patches of grass. Finally, progress!