Castles and Palaces

This Sunday we went on a day trip to see the castles and palaces near Busko-Zdroj. From the moment we set off after breakfast we could listen to the most competent tour guide who told us about the places on the itinerary and many more fascinating topics to do mostly with the history of Poland. As the coach was leaving Busko we were familiarised with the town history, then the guide continued, telling us about the places we passed and the people related to them. It was a great way to brush up on our knowledge of the history of Poland as the stories were intertwined with exciting or amusing anecdotes.

Palace in Łoniów:



Nearby church:

We crossed The Vistula (Wisła) River on the way to Baranow Sandomierski. It's often called "Little Wawel".

Then we crossed the main  Polish river again:

Our next destination was a castle in Dzików:

The only hunting trophy on display:

There was a special library designed to accommodate books amassed by Mr Tarnowski. They were his great passion:

 Dzików castle owners keenly collected art objects. They brought a big ancient bathtub and a piece of mosaic from Pompeii:

 My mother has a clock like this:

This was a tank for heated water for the next door bathroom. I wish I remembered what the castle guide had to say about it.

Originally, the castle in Łoniów had a neo-gothic fasade. When I saw it in the old photographs, it immediately made me think of Horatio Walpole's Strawberry Hill near Twickenham and Richmond:

 The castle chapel:

 Klimontow:

 Ski slope in use:

 Astonishing Krzyżtopór (Crossaxe) Castle ruins in Ujazd:

 Heading for Busko at dusk:

It was a beautiful, but very cold day!

Good night!