Palace Park

The historic park in Częstocice is under protection, just like the palace itself. In its current form, it was established during the construction of the residence for the Wielopolski family. It dates back to the 18th century, as evidenced by the clumps and rows of trees that are well over 200 years old. At the end of the 19th century, the park occupied an area of approx. 5 ha. It had the character of a freely composed landscape park. There was, among other things, a pond with an island in its northern part. After World War II, this part was significantly transformed, and then a public park was established here, which is currently under the city’s management. The southern part of the park, approx. 2.5 ha, near the palace, administered by the Museum, has largely retained its original character and tree cover.

Today, nearly 300 trees of 30 species are growing here. There are Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii), black pines (Pinus nigra), white firs (Abies concolor), yews (Taxus), sycamores (Acer pseudoplatanus), oaks (Quercus robur), and elms (Ulmus minor). Many of these trees reach considerable sizes. The structure of the park’s trees resembles an old oak forest or a luminous oak forest. The park’s trees are home to several dozen species of birds, including the rare, protected by Polish and European Union law, the white-breasted woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus) and the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), which is on the Red List of Polish Birds. A pair of tawny owls (Strix aluco) and jackdaws (Corvus monedula) build nests in the holes of old trees, which bats also inhabit. The park’s vegetation is also a habitat for other organisms from various systematic groups, including mosses, insects, arachnids, birds, and mammals.

The historic park in Częstocice is located in the multicultural archaeological site no. 14 (AZP 84-70/8). Thanks to excavations conducted over many years, we know that people have been settling in this place for thousands of years. One of the earliest evidence of their presence are finds related to the Malice culture, which is associated with groups of the first farmers who settled the areas of present-day Poland in the 5th millennium BC. Traces of settlement by the people of the Globular Amphora culture (3rd millennium BC) also come from the younger Stone Age. It was the same culture that exploited the striped flint deposits in Krzemionki. The largest number of finds dates back to the Roman period (1st-4th century AD), when the Przeworsk culture, known for its mass production of iron in the Holy Cross Mountains region, developed in Poland. At that time, a settlement of ancient metallurgists existed in today’s park. Numerous remains of iron smelting are preserved here, as well as various utility and residential facilities. Archaeological research conducted at the site has also uncovered abundant traces of manor and farm buildings from the 16th to the 19th centuries.