With its overgrown ruins, peeling pavilions, temples and follies, the landscaped garden at Arkadia Park is a romantic pagan enclave in a sea of Catholicism. The park was laid out by Princess Helena Radziwi艂艂 in the 1770s as an 'idyllic land of peace and happiness', but after the death of the princess, the park fell into decay. Most of the works of art were taken to Niebor贸w's palace and can be seen there today, and the abandoned buildings fell gradually into ruin.
Nowadays, an air of decay only adds to the charm of the place. Tree-shrouded ruins are dotted throughout the park, including a red-brick Gothic House (Domek Gotycki) perched above Sybil's Grotto, a 'Roman' aqueduct, and the impressive Archpriest's Sanctuary (Przybytek Arcykap艂ana), a fanciful mock ruin dominated by a classical bas-relief of Hope feeding a chimera. The focus of Arkadia is the Temple of Diana (艢wi膮tynia Diany), which overlooks a large lake and houses a display of Roman sculpture and funerary monuments.
Arkadia is on the 艁owicz鈥揝kierniewice road, Hwy 70, about 4km southeast of 艁owicz. There's free parking at the north entrance to the park as well as a snack stand. It's reachable by bus from 艁owicz. You can also hike or bike along a specially marked cycling path, known as the 'Prince Bike Trail' (Szlak Ksi膮偶臋cy). The blue-marked path runs about 14km and starts at the Stary Rynek in 艁owicz, near the entrance to the 艁owicz Museum.