Pronounced wah-zhen-kee, this beautiful park includes manicured gardens, an ornamental lake, wooded glades and strutting peacocks. Once a hunting ground, Łazienki was acquired by King Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1764 and transformed over the centuries to include a couple of palaces, an amphitheatre, museums and various follies.
Łazienki's 76 hectares are made up of three main types of garden: the 18th-century Italianate Royal Garden laid out during the time of King Stanisław August Poniatowski; the 19th-century Romantic Garden, which tumbles down the hill behind the Belvedere Palace and which contains a number of follies; and the early-20th-century Modernist Garden of which the Chopin Monument is a focus.
Added in 2014, the Chinese Garden borrows from the chinoiserie style that was popular with the king and includes a pavilion and an arbour decorated with hand-glazed tiles from China and hung with red lanterns.
