Iłowa: Garden Art, Palace and Cycling Routes

Iłowa combines garden art and architectural history with cycling routes and themes that extend beyond the town into the surrounding area. Park Dworski is a tourist attraction where you can see examples of Japanese, English and French garden art. There is also a palace featuring several architectural influences, self-guided quests and a range of ways to explore the surrounding area.

Garden Art and Architectural History

Examples of three garden art traditions come together in Park Dworski: Japanese, English and French. If you are interested in garden design, this variety offers a particular focus for your stay in Iłowa.

The Pałac w Iłowej palace was built in 1626 by Christoph von Schellendorf. Its architecture combines elements of the Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau. The palace retains, among other features, stucco decorations and a wooden staircase with a balustrade. The date and the builder's name provide a historical reference point; the various stylistic elements and preserved details add to the picture of the building.

The self-guided quests focus on different themes. “W poszukiwaniu skarbów Iłowej” presents the palace and gardens redesigned by Count Friedrich von Hochberg. His travels and his appreciation of beauty, especially flowers, feature in the story of the gardens. “Spacer z Winklerem po Iłowej,” by contrast, takes you through Iłowa and shows places connected with the work of Wilhelm Winkler and his family. You can choose between a theme centered on the palace and gardens and a walk exploring historical connections in Iłowa.

The Church of Christ the King (pw. Chrystusa Króla) is also among the town's cultural points of interest: it houses a 28-stop organ built in the 1930s by the company “E. Kempper & Sohn.” Another historical connection to flower culture dates back to 1939. At a dahlia exhibition held in Iłowa that year, 1,000 dahlia varieties were presented.

Cycling Routes and Activities in the Surrounding Area

All routes on “Rowerem wokół Iłowej” (Cycling Around Iłowa) start and end at the town hall building at ul. Żeromskiego 27 in Iłowa; most of the routes run along forest tracks. The yellow cycling route is about 25 km long, rated easy and runs mostly along firm, well-maintained forest tracks. This option therefore comes with both an approximate length and a difficulty rating. The red cycling route is distinguished by other points along the way: it passes the ruins of the Nowoszów cemetery and a shelter by Cichy Staw. When choosing, you can therefore compare the length and rating given for the yellow route with the places mentioned for the red route.

If you would also like to plan activities in the surrounding area, the Bory Dolnośląskie near Iłowa offer opportunities for horseback riding, cycling, hiking and canoeing. The surrounding area thus complements the town's cultural themes with different ways to stay active, although not all the activities follow the same route.

Flowers in Iłowa and the Surrounding Area

The Pudełek ornamental plant nursery in Iłowa has a show garden with collections of rhododendrons and azaleas. Together with Park Dworski and the historic dahlia event, this shows that flowers feature in the topics covered both as part of garden art and in the context of an earlier exhibition.

The Święto Parku Dworskiego (Park Dworski Festival) takes place every May in the area surrounding Iłowa. It showcases interesting flower varieties grown in the surrounding area. If the date matters for your plans, check the event details before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Żagań, Gmina Szprotawa.

For the higher-level travel overview: Sagan.