ZELAZOWA WOLA TOUR
– DISCOVER FREDERIC CHOPIN’S BIRTHPLACE
Although Chopin’s heart is in Warsaw, his spirit has definitely stayed in Zelazowa Wola. If you want to learn more about the life of the greatest romantic music composer, join our special private guided tour to Chopin’s birthplace and it’s surroundings. You’ll see two beautiful sights – Zelazowa Wola and Brochow village, that played the major role in the musician’s work and short but very turbulent life.
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ABOUT ZELAZOWA WOLA TOUR
You’ll be picked-up from your hotel in the city centre (within 3 km from the Palace of Science and Culture) at 10:30 am. Our English-speaking, friendly driver will assist you with your luggage and then take you directly to Zelazowa Wola. One-way ride takes about 1 hour.
At first, you’ll visit Frederick Chopin’s birthplace and family mansion in Zelazowa Wola. Local guide will introduce you to the musician’s parents’ history. After entering the mansion (museum), you’ll see 3 halls: Chopin family’s room, Mr Skarbek’s study and Frederic Chopin’s personal room, where annual Chopin concerts take place. There are only few objects in the room including Chopin’s grand piano, flowers and Chopin’s monument, which gives an unique atmosphere and space to that place. Then, you’ll visit the Music Chamber where one can find numerous furniture of Chopin’s parents. You’ll have a chance to see Zelazowa Wola Museum’s rich collection that features over 7500 objects including piano sheets, letters and books.
Additionally, you’ll walk through a picturesque park area surrounding the mansion – a picturesque landscape marked by numerous paths and serene riversides, that were deeply admired by Chopin.
Afterwards, you’ll visit a church in Brochow, where Chopin was baptized. Visit in Brochow takes about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, our professional guide will give you a comprehensive history lesson about those places and Chopin’s life. After the visit, our driver will pick you up and take you back to Warsaw. Don’t hesitate to ask him any questions during the ride.
TOUR INCLUDES
Hotel pick-up and drop-off (only in the city centre)
English-speaking, friendly driver/tour guide
Private, modern vehicle
Entrance tickets
Tours in other languages available on request
ADDITIONAL INFO
Duration: 5 hours
Start: 10:30 am
Type: Private
Language: English
Transportation: Private, modern vehicle
CHOPIN TOUR – READ MORE
He was born on 22.02 (or 1.03) 1810 in Zelazowa Wola – a small village in central Poland. His father, Mikolaj Chopin, came from France and was teaching French in Zelazowa Wola house – a mansion of Skarbek family. His mother was from Kujawy – a region in northern Poland. At the beginning, Chopin was learning to play piano from his mother and very soon started to give concerts. What’s more, at that time he already was writing compositions including polonaises and marches. Being in high school he was getting experience by playing concerts in different cities’ greatest halls. Then, he begun international career including Germany, Vienna, Prague, Salzburg, Munich, Stuttgart and finally, Paris.
In 1836 he met George Sand, a woman who had an immense impact on his life.They traveled together to Mallorka, Marseilles and Genoa. As Chopin came down with tuberculosis, Since 1939 his health completely impaired. On 16.11.1848 he gave his last concert in London. He died on 17.09.1849 in Paris at Place Vendome 12 street and he was buried on Pere Lachaise cemetery. However, his heart, has been moved to Holy Cross Church in Warsaw.
The unique style of Chopin’s music is often described as lyric, melancholy or even sorrowful. However, we can divide his life’s work into three periods:
1. Up till 1830
Period of inspiration and maturation of unique style and different mediums of expression. The main feature of this period is the national tradition. Thereupon, Chopin composed many mazurkas and polonaises at that time. For example, he wrote famous Rondo a la Mazur and Rondo a la Krakowiak.
2. 1830 – 1839
It’s the mature period, during which Chopin has developed his incredible piano technique and composed many incredibly complex etudes. He started to implement more sharp contrasts and dramatic nature into his compositions. We can hear it in his ballads, scherzos and Nocturnes today.
3. 1840-1849
During this last period of work and life, Chopin gave voice to his dramatic nature. He started to compose expanded works such us b-minor, g-minor or f-minor Sonatas. At the beginning, many of those works were criticized by public and other musicians as being too dissonant.
The idea to create the Museum in Zelazowa Wola emerged as early as in XIX century. However, its inauguration was disrupted by the outbreak of the World War II. In consequence, museum’s opening took place in 1949, in the 100th anniversary of Frederic Chopin’s birthday.
Current exhibition has been prepared as a result of the latest scientific research on the history of Zelazowa Wola. In the XIX century, the building was divided into 2 parts with home dwellers’ rooms on the left and service rooms on the right. This division was taken into account in today’s museum’s outlook.
