The palace is surrounded by a scenic park, and is located right next to the cradle of the Polish state, a mere 29 km from Poznań, the capital city of Wielkopolska Region. The palace is densely surrounded by woods, rivers and lakes: Zielonka Forest, Lednica Landscape Park, Wronczyn lakes, to name but a few.
A paved road leads directly to the palace. Visitors crossing the gate find themselves on a bridge, right between ponds teeming with fish. Further on, the granite paved road leads to the courtyard with a roundabout, followed by several dozens parking spaces and, further on, by newly built tennis courts. The very center of the complex is occupied by a neo-Gothic palace with Baroque architecture. The site was originally occupied by a wooden manor house, replaced by the palace in the middle of 18th C. The building was ultimately extended in 1890 and since then has stood as a Romantic palace in the midst of a scenic landscape park. After the Second World War, the palace was abandoned to regain its former glory in the 1990's. The palace and park complex in Krześlice currently houses a hotel and a restaurant. The hotel can accommodate up to 35 guests (in single and double rooms). The palace can also host training sessions, balls and occasional events.
The palace and park complex boasts enormous historical and architectural value. Consequently, all structures, with the park included, need to be treated as a whole. The harmonizing views from the palace to all sides are unique and virtually exclusive to 21st C. The spatial layout, background and peripheries of the real estate are of rather free characteristics, and yet maintain certain geometric frames, typical for a Baroque-style layout. Individual architectural and natural elements are not only a harmonized whole, but also interact to produce a synergetic effect, making the palace and park complex a truly beautiful site. The complex is complemented with a matching-style, one-storey, partially glazed outbuilding built in mid-1990's, and some landscape architecture:
• a stone crucifix dating back to 1896,
• a stone bridge connecting the fish ponds,
• stone steps leading to an embankment in the southern part of the park,
• a pedestal with an inscription in German,
• an entry gate.
The park
Most of the vintage greenery consists of endemic trees such as field maple, European ash, hornbeam, beech, willow, and there are also some oaks, elms and lindens, with an occasional poplar, sycamore, birch or mountain ash.
Species such as plane or chestnut are not native to the region and can be spotted once in a while. The palace guests enjoy an abundance of fresh air and a unique, relaxing and joyful atmosphere, courtesy of the park's trees and undergrowth. Shrubbery consists mostly of black elder, field maple and spindletree. White snowberry, mock orange and yew are also found in the park. The park's abundant undergrowth is mostly covered with cranesbill, celandine, wood avens, burdock, nettle, yarrow, chickweed and ivy. The lawn's turf is exquisite, especially in the front part. The park's vegetation is, with no exceptions, in very good condition and is expected to thrive in the next few hundred years as it grows on fertile, humid and non-permeable soil. Some of the trees even deserve to be referred to as features of historic importance. In 1999 the park's most valuable vegetation was catalogued in 680 generic groups. 570 tress have been carefully measured.