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'A garden to remember': The hidden stories of Warsaw's Łazienki Park
"The Life of a Royal Garden", an exhibition held at Warsaw's Łazienki Park, tells the story of the largest park and palace complex in the Polish capital.
It follows the winding vines of its history and unveils the secrets hidden in rustling of the gardeners' daily lives. It also gives voice to the garden's numerous caretakers, both past and present, and tells the story of how the once-private royal estate became a space for all to enjoy.
Between time and composition: two paths of one story
The exhibition is guided along two tracks. The first - a chronological one - starts in 1674, when Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski purchased the Ujazdów estate, leading up to 2025, the year in which a comprehensive tree inventory was completed.
It tells more than three and a half centuries of garden history - from the royal concepts of King Stanisław August Poniatowski, through the period of the Tsar's residence, the interwar period, the times of the communist Polish People's Republic, to the modern day - each with their own care for natural and cultural heritage.
The second track dissects the garden. We look at compositional and architectural changes, disappearing buildings, new avenues.
We get to know the architects, the owners, but also the gardeners who have looked after the park from dawn til dusk. Their names often disappear in the archives, but the exhibition tries to bring them out of oblivion.
Artefacts on display include the records kept by gardeners, as well as the contemporary stories of their successors today, which can be heard live during guided tours of the exhibition.
The garden as a social scene
Łazienki Park has never been just a garden for contemplating greenery; it is a space for events, both private and public.
King Stanislaw August Poniatowski held his famous Thursday dinners here, among the trees.
The exhibition succeeds in showing the garden as its own social scene, vast and vibrant, where stories of politics, art, love and everyday life took place.
Plants, animals and the senses
A garden is not just geometry and aesthetics; it is also a living organism, full of animals and seasonally changing plants. The exhibition emphasizes the sensory dimension of the garden - which can be seen, heard, and felt.
A shared responsibility
As the director of the museum emphasizes, Łazienki Park is a unique place. It is the last summer residence of the King of Poland, located in the very centre of the European capital and accessible to all.
"The Gardens of the Royal Łazienki Park are inscribed in the identity of our city, but they are also an iconic place for all Polish and international tourists visiting Warsaw," points out Dr Marianna Otmianowska, director of the Royal Łazienki Museum.
It is not only a space for walks and dates, but also a living archive of the collective memory of Varsovians and Poles.
Floristry and art in dialogue
The floral and art installations are an important part of the exhibition, as they refer to the iconography and botanical inspiration of the garden.
Porcelain figurines from the Viennese manufactory, with floral motifs and scenes from court life, meet modern scenography and contemporary works - including those designed by artist Irena von Chrupek. It is a bridge between applied arts, horticulture and crafts.
An international component
The exhibition was created in collaboration with the National Library of France and the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, demonstrating the scale of the institutional trust and prestige of the Baths.
The museum is a member of the Association of European Royal Residences, whose president is always the director of Versailles.
Full accessibility
Special emphasis has been placed on the accessibility of the exhibition for people with special needs, with the addition of tiffographs - graphic representations of objects in Braille.
For instance, visually impaired visitors can appreciate a portrait of Prince Lubomirski by feeling the texture of the fur, the shape of the face, and the texture of the fabric.
"We try to make our exhibitions accessible to the widest possible audience, our visitors," notes Dr. Izabela Kopania, curator of the exhibition.
In addition, simplified texts have been used to help people with intellectual disabilities better understand the narrative.
As the organizers emphasize, every exhibition at the Łazienki Park is created with the full inclusion of different audiences in mind - regardless of their sensory abilities.
Living and shared heritage
"The Life of a Royal Garden" is more than an exhibition - it is the story of a world that still breathes, about the people who continue to tell that story.
It is a place that not only survives history, but continues to write it every day - with every step you take down its gravel alleyways and with every leaf that falls on the bench by the pond.
"The Life of a Royal Garden" can be seen until the 14 September 2025 at the Royal Łazienki Park in Warsaw.
