Welcome to the former Dressage Hall
Welcome to the former Dressage Hall. This building was used in the past for the training and dressage of horses.
Today it is a place where you can learn about the history of horse-drawn transport. You can find out about different types of carriages and learn about the history of the Łańcut museum collection.
A traditional exhibition of original harnessed vehicles corresponds with archival graphics and photographs.
Thanks to modern technology, you will learn about how people travelled in ancient times.
Exhibitions
A collection of around fifty horse-drawn carriages can be seen in the former Dressage Hall. The set of antique carriages and sleighs comes from purchases made by the Łańcut Castle Museum after the war.
The renovation and conservation work carried out in the building created a new exhibition space.
The harnessed vehicles are presented on three exhibition levels.
The exhibition is complemented by modern multimedia presentations that bring the history of the vehicles alive.
History
The Dressage Hall, originally called Rajtszula (reitschule from the German for riding school), was built during the time of Alfred I Potocki in 1828-1830.
The designer of the Classicist style building was the architect Ludwik Bogochwalski. A record of construction costs and the original plan have survived to this day.
The building was designed on a rectangular plan with apses on the shorter sides. The façade features a decorative frieze of horse-heads joined by garlands by Antoni Bauman. Every other horse’s head has armour. Between the large semi-circular windows are reliefs with laurel wreaths. The longer elevations are divided into seven and five axes. There is a semi-circular recess on the wall facing the tennis courts. Inside there is a marble statue of the goddess of hunting Diana with a stag (a copy of an ancient sculpture from the Louvre). At the top you can see the coat of arms of the Potocki Pilawa family and the initials of Elżbieta and Roman Potocki from the time of the renovation of the Dressage Hall.
The Dressage Hall was originally used for training horses. It was also a place for horse riding lessons and training, whatever the weather. The Dressage Hall underwent a thorough renovation in the era of Roman and Elżbieta Potocki. After its completion in 1903, the interior of the building gained elevated spectator boxes around the arena. As in the castle, at the beginning of the 20th century electric lighting was installed from the Potockis’ own power plant.
After World War II, the Dressage Hall was used as a sports hall until 2007.
Renovation
The Dressage Hall has undergone renovation work involving shoring up the foundations, as well as installing electrical, sanitary and safety systems. The building has been adapted to house an exhibition of horse-drawn carriages purchased by the museum after World War II, as well as an exhibition about travel and hunting.
Thanks to the works carried out, the functioning and storage of the collection of the Łańcut Castle Museum has been improved. New exhibition spaces have been made available to visitors.
The option to buy tickets online will be available soon.
Access
Castle Museum in Łańcut
Jan Potocki Centre for Traditional Education in Łańcut
ul. Zamkowa 1
37-100 Łańcut
Parking information:
CET buildings – the Orangery and the Dressage Hall are located in the park.
The Orangery is in the immediate vicinity of the Castle. The Dressage Hall is adjacent to the tennis courts and the Orchid House.
Buildings do not have their own dedicated parking areas.
Pay-and-display car parks, including car parks for people with disabilities, are located in the town.
Parking for coaches and minibuses is located at the Transport Centre in Łańcut ul. Kościuszki 17A, near the park gate at the Small Romantic Castle.
