Antonin: Hunting Lodge, Chopin and Wydymacz

Antonin combines the Radziwiłłs’ Hunting Lodge with its connection to Chopin and nature around Wydymacz. If you are looking for a hotel in Antonin, these different highlights can help you get a sense of the destination: cultural history and architecture sit alongside a nature trail, an exhibition and protected landscape features. Consider which aspects of the town are most interesting for your stay.

Hunting Lodge, Architecture and Chopin

The Hunting Lodge in Antonin was built in 1822–1824 for Antoni Henryk Radziwiłł. The building is a tangible point of reference for the town’s history. In the grand Hunting Hall, a central fluted column stands out: its lengthwise grooves are complemented by deer heads and antlers. This brings together a clearly defined architectural feature and hunting-themed decor in one room.

The palace houses the Chopin Music Salon and a museum exhibition dedicated to the composer. Visitors interested in Chopin will find both themes brought together in the same historic building. The International Festival “Chopin w barwach jesieni” is also held regularly in Antonin. If you would like to plan your trip around it, it is worth checking the latest event dates.

Another historical feature is the former Neo-Romanesque burial chapel of the Radziwiłł family. Today, it serves as a branch church of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. Graves containing the remains of family members transferred from the crypt lie around the chapel. The Hunting Lodge, Chopin connection and chapel thus represent different aspects of the town’s history.

Landscape and Nature in Antonin

The Hunting Lodge is surrounded by an extensive landscape park. The Szperek recreational pond is a separate attraction: it is located in Antonin and forms part of the Przygodzice pond system. These two places of interest for nature and landscape are described by their respective roles—as a park around the palace and as a recreational pond within the pond system.

At the heart of the Wydymacz Nature Reserve is Staw Wydymacz. It covers about 10 hectares. The reserve protects, among other things, the fly honeysuckle and mezereon. Wydymacz thus features both a specific landscape feature and two named plants.

The nature trail in the Wydymacz Nature Reserve is about 2 km long and starts and ends at the “Ogrodówka” nature and forestry centre on the grounds of the Antonin Forest District office. The centre houses the permanent exhibition “Spotkanie z lasem”. Its topics include plants, wildlife, the timber industry and nature conservation. The trail and exhibition thus have different focuses: the trail is geared towards natural history, while the exhibition covers several topics related to the forest.

Hiking Trail, Horse-Riding Route and Trip Planning

To get a sense of the other activities available, it helps to consider the type of route: the red PTTK hiking trail WK – 3666 c passes through Antonin, as does the Pętla Przygodzicka horse-riding route. These are two different types of route in Antonin. By contrast, the approximately 2 km nature trail has a specified length and starts and ends at the same centre. These details offer different points of reference, without implying that the routes share a course.

When choosing a destination, you can weigh up the cultural and historical attractions at the Hunting Lodge, the Chopin offering and the nature around Wydymacz. The regular Chopin festival adds to the cultural side, while the trail, exhibition, nature reserve and pond system provide further specific points of interest.

Discover more destinations: Korytnica, Przygodzice, Radłów, Sławin, Skrzebowa, Rososzyca, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Raszków.

Go to the main travel overview: Ostrowo.