Palace in Dolsk

The Palace in Dolsk is a Neo-Gothic residence in the English style, hidden in a park clearing not far from the southern shore of Lake Dolsk in the municipality of Dębno. In its heyday it was called the little Sanssouci. Today it is privately owned and has been gradually rebuilt since the mid-1990s, so it is best viewed from the outside.

From castle to Neo-Gothic palace

It is not known when the first building was erected. Until the 16th century Dolsk and the castle belonged to the von Schönebeck family, and the first mention of the owners' residence dates from 1713. In the 18th century the castle was extended by three wings, with fragments of the older complex preserved in the cellars. The present shape of the building was determined by a rebuilding completed in 1828 on the initiative of Karl von Tresckow, to a design by an architect associated with the circle of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Further rebuildings in 1845 and 1889 added Neo-Gothic forms and Baroque motifs, including three towers, a terrace, dormers and spires.

Ruin and rebuilding

From 1933 to 1945 the palace belonged to the Reich and served as a school, a cinema, a community centre and the seat of a youth organisation unit. From January 1945 it housed a Soviet field hospital, then flats for officers, and in the 1960s a grain store. After a fire in 1967 it fell into ruin and was looted. In 1992 part of the land with the palace was bought by private individuals. First the walls were cleared of rubble, and by 2011 the walls, ceilings, stairs and roof had been rebuilt, together with the installations in the right wing.

The park by the palace

The English-style park was laid out in 1832, probably to a design by Peter Joseph Lenné. It covers 38.95 ha and has 52 species and varieties of trees and shrubs, including catalpa, Chinese juniper, magnolia and tulip tree. Oaks aged 150 to 250 years, as well as a plane, an ash, a hornbeam and a beech, are natural monuments. The layout of the park is today heavily blurred, but the clearing in front of the palace and the avenues by the access roads remain legible. In the park there is also the Gardener's House from 1861.

Practical information

• Location: the village of Dolsk, Dębno municipality, Myślibórz County; about 7 km from Dębno.
• Access: the rules for visiting and opening hours are not publicly given; the building has private owners, so do not enter the grounds without permission.
• In the village stands the Baroque Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Dolsk, and in the area lies Lake Postne.