Do you like visiting castles? Especially those who are so beautiful that… they act in films? We visited one of them. It was here that the adaptation of the well-known Polish fantasy novel ‘The Academy of Mr. Kleks’ was filmed.
Small towns are beautiful too! Here you will find the best attractions of Kalisz!
Castle in Goluchow – tour
We found out about the castle in Goluchow near Kalisz couple months ago. This is because it played the ‘main role’ in the film adaptation of the famous Polish book ‘The Academy of Mr. Kleks’. Regardless of whether you ever see this film, it is definitely worth a visit to the wonderful place where it was made.
Let’s start with the beautiful location of the castle. It was built over 400 years ago on a hill above the Trzemsza River and surrounded by a moat. There is a park around (or rather an arboretum), which was green even during our December visit. We start the tour from a courtyard, where a guard lets us in through a closed gate.
The architecture of the Renaissance building immediately impresses with its exceptional lightness, great craftsmanship and extraordinary precision. Although it might seem that the entire building is coherent and constructed in the same style, it turns out that its history was much more turbulent. Individual parts of the building were added, renovated and modified many times under the rule of different owners.
However, these style differences are not visible to the average tourist. The numerous external ornaments, details and finishes are absolutely eye-catching. Someone here put a lot of work into carving them. Fortunately, the number of decorations is not exaggerated, and all of them are chosen with good taste. Both Wiolczi and Patryk liked them (that’s not so obvious).
After seeing the castle from the outside, it’s time to explore the interior. And here’s a little surprise when it comes to sightseeing. To enter the building, the entire group must wait for the “doorman”. We came up with this name ourselves for the man who opens individual rooms, leads the group into them, waits until everyone sees the exhibits, then leads the group to the exit and closes the door. And so on, room by room. This is by no means a classic guide that tells the history of the castle (although it answers any questions that may arise in an interesting way). We mention this because it was the first time we encountered this form of sightseeing.
Even though visiting with a guide (or at least an audio guide) is more pleasant, the castle in Goluchow still made a very good impression on us. First, we visit the museum hall. Particularly noteworthy here are the large fireplace, the wooden ceiling made of thick logs, and the sculptures and bas-reliefs.
The next room is the room of Greek vases (with a much warmer decor than the previous room). It contains (authentic!) antique vessels from the 7th-3rd century BC. Another interesting exhibit is a carved table with baroque elements. While visiting the Castle Museum in Goluchow, it is worth taking into consideration… wallpapers. They are really stylish!
In the antiquities hall, before the outbreak of World War II, you could see works of art, figurines and glass from ancient and early Christian times. These were impressive harvests. Currently, the display cases contain dishes, jewelry and other small exhibits from ancient times. Watching them all made us feel really closer to history.
The room that the Travel-Mates team unanimously rated as the most stylish is… Princess Margaret’s bedroom. I guess every girl has dreamed of such a comfortable bed with a huge canopy. In the 19th century, this room was intended for the sister-in-law of the owner of the entire estate (we remind Polish history experts: the castle belonged to Izabela Działyńska née Czartoryska at that time). It must be admitted that the hostess was really hospitable and welcomed family members with class into her (not very) modest home.
Ladies and gentlemen, now it’s time for the most magical – in our opinion – place in the entire castle. Do you like wood? Because we absolutely love it! (We would love to live in a wooden cottage in the middle of a forest full of… wood.) These stairs look like a real work of art in real life. And they creak slightly when going upstairs. Can you feel it?
Some people admire the wooden stairs, others the painted works. (There is no accounting for taste.) In the castle in Goluchow, art lovers will find a whole collection of paintings, mainly depicting historical figures. Although many paintings were stolen from here and taken to Germany during World War II, you can still admire numerous originals here.
And here is a small historical curiosity: an example of a work that was the victim of wartime theft is the diptych visible in the photo above, consisting of the paintings “Mater Dolorosa” and “Ecce Homo”. It was painted in the 15th century by Dieric Bouts. Although it was “requisitioned” by the Nazis, it eventually ended up in… Spain. In 2023, the Polish government managed to bring the work back to the castle in Goluchow.
So much for the story. You will see, hear and read more on site. For dessert, we present you the guest book. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to add to it, because this copy is already resting quietly in a display case as an analogue proof of the popularity of the Goluchow castle among tourists in the years… 1928-1939. When do you plan to join the visitor list?
Goluchow – park
Even if visiting monuments is not the most interesting activity for you, it is worth going to Goluchow to take a walk in the park-arboretum. The green area surrounding the castle covers over 150 hectares! Fans of vegetation will find original trees and shrubs here. The most impressive exhibit is the “Jan” oak, over 25 meters high and less than 5.5 meters in circumference. Wow! For animal lovers, we recommend the Model Animal Pen, inhabited by fallow deer, wild boars, Polish horses and bisons. We also recommend the Forestry Museum to all visitors, where we were surprised by an interesting and modern exhibition.
Castle in Goluchow – tickets
You can buy tickets at the museum box office or online at the following prices:
- normal – PLN 20.
- reduced price – PLN 13.
- children and young people studying (7-26 years old) – PLN 1.
- children up to 7 years old enter for free.
Every Tuesday you can visit the castle in Goluchow for free.
A guided tour for a group of up to 30 people costs PLN 120 + individual entry tickets.
Castle in Goluchow – opening hours
The castle in Goluchow is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The museum is closed on Monday.
Castle in Goluchow near Kalisz – how to get?
- The Castle Museum in Goluchow is located at Dzialynskich 2 Street. The nearest large cities are: Kalisz (18 km away), Poznan (110 km) and Lodz (140 km).
- Although we usually encourage more ecological means of transport, in the case of Goluchow, the most reasonable solution seems to be to travel by car. Google Map will lead you to the place where you can find a free parking space.
- We tried to find any way to get there by public transport, but we didn’t find any direct connection from any large city. Even getting there from Kalisz, 20 kilometers away, required three transfers! Well, we gave up.
Castle in Goluchow – interesting facts and tips
- In 2023, the Castle Museum in Goluchow received a Google Golden Pin with a rating of 4.7 and almost 5,000 opinions. Way to go!
- In 2016, the Goluchow castle was purchased by the State Treasury from the Princes Czartoryski Foundation for the amount of – a trifle! – PLN 20 million.
Castle in Goluchow – reviews
- Patrix – 6/10. The castle looks very epic and magical from the outside. The courtyard is also impressive. The tour itself and the exhibits inside are rather uninteresting. First of all: we are shown around by a man who only opens the door. It would be much nicer if he said a few sentences about each room. There’s no need to lecture on them, but I’d like to hear anything. The second issue: the exhibits are described only with their names. I’m not a fan of three-page descriptions, but a few words about them would also be useful here. Seeing the castle from the outside is free and I recommend it. It is also worth taking a walk around the beautiful park where it is located (also at a fair price of PLN 0). However, I recommend that you consider going inside and exploring the chambers.
- Wiolczix – 8/10. Saying that every nice castle in our country is a ‘Polish Hogwarts’ has become a bit cliched. But Goluchow is truly magical and magical! No wonder Maciej Kawulski chose this place for Mr. Kleks’ school. The unique location of the castle adds a lot of charm – in the middle of a huge park, among greenery (see the photo at the top of the page). From the outside, the building is beautiful, shapely and light. Someone here really took care of the architectural details. However, visiting the interior surprised me a bit (in a minor way). The small number of open rooms, the lack of a guide or even an audio guide, and the exhibits that are not described in detail slightly lower my assessment of the castle in Goluchow. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth going there.
Castle in Goluchow – FAQ
Where was ‘Mr. Kleks’ Academy’ 2023 filmed?
The 2023 film ‘The Academy of Mr. Kleks’ directed by Maciej Kawulski was shot mainly at the castle in Goluchow in Greater Poland. Some scenes were also created in Brzesko and Warsaw.
When can I visit the castle in Goluchow?
The castle in Goluchow can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays.
How much does a ticket to the castle in Goluchow cost?
A regular ticket to the castle in Goluchow costs PLN 20, and a reduced ticket – PLN 13. Children up to 7 years old enter for free, and children and teenagers (7-26 years old) pay a symbolic PLN entry fee.
Who owns the castle in Goluchow?
Since 1952, the castle in Goluchow has operated as a branch of the National Museum in Poznan. In December 2016, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage purchased this historic building together with the associated buildings and the park from the Princes Czartoryski Foundation for the state.
How old is the castle in Goluchow?
According to historical data, the castle in Goluchow was built in 1550-1560. This means that the historic building in Greater Poland is over 400 years old.
What can I see in Goluchow?
In Goluchow near Kalisz, in Greater Poland, it is worth seeing: a historic castle from the 16th century; a park-arboretum with a Model Animal Pen; Forestry Museum (with the outbuilding, carriage house, sheepfold and dybul).
Castle in Goluchow – map
The castle in Goluchow is located in Greater Poland, just 15 kilometers northeast of Kalisz.
