Łazienki Park's centrepiece is a delightful neoclassical palace, the former residence of King Stanisław August Poniatowski, which stands on an island in an ornamental lake. Some 140 paintings and works of art from the king's collection are on display here. Architectural highlights include an ornate ballroom and the 17th-century marble reliefs depicting scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses that grace the original bathhouse (łazienki in Polish, hence the name), which was the foundation of the palace.
Prince Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, a notable 17th-century personage, had Dutch architect Tylman van Gameren design the baroque-style bathhouse. When King Stanisław August Poniatowski took over the property, this building was redesigned by the court architects Domenico Merlini and Johann Christian Kammsetzer.
