Photos

Park Oliwski/Park in Gdansk Oliwa,Poland.
The origins of the Adam Mickiewicz park in Gdansk-Oliwa go back to the Cistercian friars and the 12th
century when they first settled and started farming in the Oliwa Brook valley (Potok Oliwski). Today,
the flower beds and alleys of the park set the background for a palace.
Erected to be the residence of the abbots, it now houses the Modern Art Section of the National Museum. The approach leading up to the park gate from Grunwaldzka Alley is called after abbot Jacek Rybicki.
It was him who opened the gardens to the public two hundred years ago. The southern end of the park is dominated by trimmed wall- trees, symmetrically shaped bushes, and arranged flower-beds in the
French garden style. In contrast, the English gardens in the northern quarters feature irregular tree and bush stands. The park occupies
the area of ca. thirty-three acres of land, and as such is large enough
to have a good walk and interesting enough to catch the eye. Many monumental trees are centuries old, others include specimens of
imported exotic flora. An interesting feature here is the winter garden
treasuring a banana tree first planted before the war. The nearby Oliwa Brook (Potok Oliwski) crosses the park cascades
and ponds built on the way and adding extra charm to the place.
A marked trail leads from the park to the adjacent 14th century cathedral in Gdansk-Oliwa.