If you are visiting Warsaw and are a fan of Frederic Chopin, you are in for a treat. Not only will you find a few important locations connected to the great Polish composer, but you can also visit Zelazowa Wola – the place where he was born. It’s such a lovely place and one of the most popular day trips from Warsaw that even if you are not much into Chopin’s music, you will surely appreciate it.

It took me years to finally visit Zelazowa Wola, but when I eventually got there, I was impressed with its beauty and eerie vibe. I was there one summer Saturday, late in the day, with hardly any people around, and you could feel some kind of magic in the air.

While the most important place in Zelazowa Wola is Chopin’s memorial house, the park surrounding the building is actually even better and the reason to go for a trip there. Here’s your guide to visiting Zelazowa Wola.

Where is Zelazowa Wola

The village of Zelazowa Wola is located a bit over 50 km west of Warsaw, the capital of Poland, between Sochaczew and Kampinos National Park. The park with Chopin’s birthplace is just off the main road; it’s impossible to miss it.

A brief history of Chopin’s birthplace in Zelazowa Wola

The village of Zelazowa Wola was first mentioned already in the 16th century, however it’s been a tiny settlement with only nine houses in the late 18th century. That’s also when the village was purchased by the Skarbek family.

They lived in a mansion with two smaller outbuildings on both sides. One of them, the eastern one, was occupied by the family of Mikolaj Chopin, the tutor of the noble family’s children and father of Frederic. The Chopin family lived only for a short period of time in Zelazowa Wola, but that’s where the famous composer – the second child in the family – was born in 1810, on March 1st (or February 22nd as some sources say).

Frederic spent little time living in Zelazowa Wola; when he was a few months old, still in 1810, the family moved to Warsaw, but they returned to the mansion fairly frequently as guests. During those visits, Frederic gave piano concerts not only to the owners and locals of Zelazowa Wola but also to people from nearby villages.

The piano was moved outside, under the linden trees, and in this beautiful scenery, Chopin could showcase his talent and perform his best work. The last time Frederic visited Zelazowa Wola and gave a concert there was in 1830.

The history of the mansion and two outbuildings was a turbulent one. In 1812, the main building burned down, but the rest of the property survived this tragic event. During World War I, the western outbuilding was also destroyed by fire.

The eastern one, where Frederic Chopin was born, was purchased by the local “Chopin House Friends Society” in 1928, together with the surrounding grounds. The original birthplace building was redesigned to look like a little manor house to give the place a more exalted look.

During World War II, the German Army stayed in the building; it was also used as a military hospital. That’s also when a few valuable Chopin memorabilia disappeared from the property, such as the concert piano and two armchairs.

After the much-needed postwar renovations, the Zelazowa Wola manor house, together with the surrounding park, was opened to the public as Chopin’s birthplace museum. It’s a popular tourist attraction in Poland, with over 200,000 visitors each year.

How to get to Chopin’s birthplace in Zelazowa Wola

Unfortunately, getting to Zelazowa Wola isn’t super easy. The best option is by car—if you don’t have one during your trip to Poland, you can rent one here via Discover Cars. There is a large paid parking space across from Chopin’s museum, so once you reach Zelazowa Wola, you can start sightseeing right away.

There are also organized tours from Warsaw to Zelazowa Wola; here are the recommended ones:

• Fryderyk Chopin’s Birthplace Half Day Private Tour from Warsaw
• Frederic Chopin Private Tour in Warsaw and Zelazowa Wola with lunch
• Day tour from Warsaw to Chopin’s birthplace and trough Mazovia’s highlights

If you insist on using public transport, I must warn you that it is a bit of a challenge and time-consuming. You can take the train to Sochaczew (40-60 minutes by train, depending on the connection) and then grab a taxi to Zelazowa Wola, 8 km away.

If you travel by bike, you can take the local train to Piasecznica, a station before Sochaczew, and then ride 8 km to Zelazowa Wola (the traffic here is more bearable than if you go from Sochaczew). Either way, public transport is not the most convenient way to reach Zelazowa Wola, and I would think twice before choosing it.

Visiting Chopin’s birthplace in Zelazowa Wola

Before entering the park surrounding the manor house, you need to stop at the visitors’ center to purchase the ticket. There, you will also find a small exhibition dedicated to Chopin-related themes that is worth seeing (during my visit, it was about the monuments of the great composer; it was very interesting).

A short walk through the well-kept park will take you to the manor house where Chopin was born (the room where it allegedly happened is on the right side after the entrance, it is clearly marked so you won’t miss it). Inside the building, you will find a very modest interior with rather minimal decor. The look of the place is symbolic, representing the times when Chopin was born and showing how the XIX-century indigent family used to live.

To avoid disappointments, you must keep in mind the house is a reconstructed (and extended) version of the original one. Even the piano you can see in one of the rooms is a modern one. Although the exhibition is not very extended, it’s a pleasant place to visit, especially considering its significance.

While visiting the manor house will probably take around fifteen minutes, I recommend taking your time in the surrounding park and enjoying it to the fullest. It’s such a charming place, well-kept, with plenty of paths to wander along and benches to sit down and relax.

You will also find a few of Chopin’s monuments, including some well-known artworks showing a great composer. If you are lucky, you can even attend a live recital of Chopin’s music, which takes place twice a day (at 12:00 and 15:00) on Saturdays between May and September.

To check current opening time and prices, visit the website of the Chopin’s birthplace in Zelazowa Wola here.

Other Chopin-related places in Warsaw

If you visit Warsaw and you are interested in Chopin’s life and work, there are more places that you might want to check. Here are some of the most important ones:

• Frederic Chopin Museum – one of the top multimedia biographical museums in Europe, with numerous important Chopin memorabilia
• Chopin Monument in Royal Lazienki Park where each Sunday between mid-May and the end of September, you can enjoy a free outdoor concert – well-known pianists from all over the world play Chopin’s music twice a day, at 12:00 and 16:00
• Basilica of the Holy Cross at Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street, where Chopin’s heart is buried, according to his last will
• Kazimierzowski and Czapski Palaces, where the Chopin Family used to live
• numerous so-called Chopin benches – you only need to push the button to listen to some of the most popular Chopin’s masterpieces

Further reading

I published many articles about Poland that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• 37 Amazing Things to Do in Krakow, Poland
• 20 Great Places to Visit As Day Trips from Warsaw, Poland
• Visiting Auschwitz – How to Plan the Auschwitz Tour
• 17 Amazing Things to Do in Lublin, Poland
• The Complete Guide to Visiting Slownski National Park, Poland
• Visit Grudziadz – One of the Hidden Gems of Poland
• 19 Amazing Things to Do in Gdansk, Poland
• Visit Sandomierz, Poland – One of the Prettiest Towns in the Country
• Visiting Malbork Castle, Poland – the Largest Castle in the World
• 25 Amazing Things to do in Wroclaw, Poland
• and many more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.

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• Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
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