Jacek Halicki, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Baroque Jewel of Lower Silesia. Łomnica Palace and its history

·2 March 2025

In the heart of the picturesque Valley of Palaces and Gardens, not far from Jelenia Góra, rises the majestic Łomnica Palace – a Baroque residence from the 17th century, a testimony to the rich history of the region. Together with the adjacent residential building, known as the “Widow’s House”, it is an extremely valuable part of Lower Silesia’s heritage.

Łomnica Palace – history of the residence

The first mention of the Łomnica estate dates from 1475-1654, when it belonged to the von Zedlitz family. In subsequent years it passed into the hands of various owners, including the Tomagnini (1654-1737), Mentzl (from the third quarter of the 17th century to 1811), Flach and von Roth families. In 1835, the Lomnice estate was purchased by Carl Gustav von Küster. The palace was built in the second half of the 17th century as an early baroque manor house, whose original layout included the main body and two corner alcoves. At the beginning of the 18th century, it was rebuilt in Baroque style, changing the facades and interiors. It is believed to have been designed by Martin Franz of Rewel (today’s Tallinn). The most significant changes to the architecture of the mansion took place between 1838 and 1844, when the architect Albert Tollberg carried out a modernisation that included reorganising the layout of the rooms, building a representative staircase, adding a new storey and enlarging the window openings. After World War II, the palace became the property of the Polish state. It housed a school until 1977, but after its closure the building fell into disrepair. In 1992, the property was purchased by a Polish-German company, which undertook a major renovation.

Kriskros, CC BY-SA 3.0 EN, via Wikimedia Commons

Pałac w Łomnicy

Contemporary attractions and functions of the palace

Thanks to the renovation, the chateau in Lomnice has regained its former splendour and now serves as a museum of historical interiors, full of antiques and other objects that served man in everyday life. In the mansion you can see the decoration of a former school, children’s room or kitchen. The palace façade features an elegant balcony portal, and inside the original spatial layout has been preserved, along with wall paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

“Widow’s House”

“The Widow’s House” is a classicist building built between 1803 and 1804 by Christian Gottfried Mentzel. It was originally used by an elderly member of the von Menzel family, and after the war it was used as a residential and commercial building. Today, after careful restoration, it houses a hotel, restaurant and café. Adjacent to the chateau there is also a historic farmhouse, which is now used as a shopping and catering centre, offering regional products, flax products, as well as a bakery and a blacksmith’s shop.

House of prayer

The palace grange also includes a house of prayer, which was originally erected in Rząśnik in 1748 for the Evangelical community. The building was made in the frame (half-timbered) technique with a brick filling, on a rectangular plan and covered with a hipped roof. After 1945, when it was still in Rząśnik, it was used as a fruit warehouse. In 2020, it was relocated and reconstructed 20 km away, on the site of the former manor buildings next to the palace in Łomnica. It is the only surviving original building of its kind in Lower Silesia.

Łomnica Palace today

Thanks to meticulous renovation, the Łomnica Palace has become a symbol of the rebirth of Lower Silesian mansions, although many of them were not so lucky. The works carried out turned the ruined establishment into an ideal place for a weekend getaway, where you can feel the atmosphere of bygone eras while savouring the beauty of the architecture and local specialities.

Source: zabytek.pl, palac-lomnica.pl

The palace in 1950 and 2018. Source: Przypkowski Museum in Jędrzejów and MARELBU, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons