Palac Wojanów

Pałac Wojanów stands in the Jelenia Góra valley in Lower Silesia, beneath the Karkonosze, the Giant Mountains, in the area known as the Valley of Palaces and Gardens. The estate has roots going back to the 13th century, grew from a Renaissance manor into a neo-Gothic princely home, and was once owned by the Prussian royal family.

Today it is a restored hotel set in 16 hectares of historic parkland. There are 91 rooms across the palace and its side buildings, two restaurants, a spa and a pool, which means a wedding here can run as one long weekend without anyone leaving the grounds.

Ceremonies take place outdoors in the historic park with the palace behind you, and the team moves you into another room if the weather turns. For the reception, the Chestnut Banquet Hall works for about 70 to 180 guests and opens into the glazed, air-conditioned Orangery for dancing and onto the French Garden, lit with garlands at night. The brick-vaulted Wojanowska Hall suits 70 to 100. Menus can be plated or buffet, with sweet tables and open bars. Ask the team about the civil ceremony through the local registry office and music finish times.

Sleeping almost everyone on site is the big draw. The palace has 19 apartments, and the side buildings add 72 rooms, including triples and quads for families, for up to 196 guests in all. The spa has an 18 metre pool, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and treatments.

For the days around the wedding, there is hiking and skiing in the Karkonosze, Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba close by, and tastings of the palace's own wines in the vaulted cellar. Wrocław is about 108 km away, roughly an hour and a half by car, Jelenia Góra is 8 km, and Wojanów railway station is just 700 metres from the hotel.