Manor houses

A country manor house is traditionally regarded in Poland as a typical seat of gentry. This is where the ancestral, patriotic and religious customs were maintained and the so-called Sarmatian moral values cherished. From the 16th century onwards, picturesque manors of the landed nobility were typical in the Polish landscape.

Some of them were small, some big but usually were built as family houses of Polish nobles. Many of Polish manor houses were destroyed during Second World War. Further loss of manor houses was caused by nationalization imposed by the Communist authorities under the false pretence of introducing agrarian reforms and the subsequent dilapidation of former gentry estates. Today it is possible again for former owners to buy their properties back or for others with an inclination for country life and adequate means to undertake expensive restoration work.

Today most interesting manor houses are located in: Zelazowa Wola (Chopin’s house), Czarnolas (manor of famous Polish poet – Jan Kochanowski), Koszuty, Ozarow, Stryszow, Zarnowiec, Zloty Potok etc.