Nakomiady Palace has a long history behind it, with no shortage of romantic themes either! After standing abandoned and in ruins for several years, it was bought by Piotr Ciszek in the late 1990s. Today, the owners run not only a guesthouse in it, but also a pottery manufactory, which was closed down during World War II.
However, it is neither an ordinary anonymous guesthouse nor an ordinary manufactory. All who come are guests of the hosts, living in their home, which is a palace. The manufactory has been restored to produce unusual tile designs. Delightful stoves, bathroom tiles and even light switches are created. At Nakomiady Palace you can feel the spirit of the past living within its walls!
I found Nakomiady after 3 months and it was love at first sight
© Piotr Ciszewski
Basia Hyjek: How did your adventure begin?
Piotr Ciszek: In 1998 we decided to change our lives a bit. We abandoned the city and moved to the countryside. Originally it was to be a country house, which was also to serve as a guesthouse or some form of agritourism. After all, one has to live from something. However, trips to Masuria began to resemble voyages of discovery. Every weekend I looked at many ruined palaces that I had no idea existed before - as did many other citizens of our country. I found Nakomiady after 3 months and it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, in terrible condition. No windows, part of the roof, everything horribly overgrown in the circle. But. the decision was made. We are buying.
Basia: What were the most difficult moments? The palace with its unusual history must have hidden many secrets, but also surprises.
Piotr: Difficult moments appeared every step of the way. On the one hand, optimism, and on the other, being asked if we could do it. After all, this is a 2,000-square-meter area, 9,000 cubic meters of volume, and, well, 7 hectares of neglected park with a garden where concrete chicken coops and a gas station stood. Later, there were also nearly 200 hectares of agricultural land. Quite a lot of it all for a racial bourgeois. Every rainfall meant torrents of water in the palace, mud and clay from the pits. Around knocking heads with friends and acquaintances. I won't mention the cold in winter, because it's no discovery. But weekends in a room (a small one temporarily prepared for housing) without heating, it's already a bit of survival. We managed, however.
And so, after two years of trial, error, corrections, we put the first stove made of Elbląg tiles
© Piotr Ciszek
Basia: Please tell us about the manufactory and its reopening.
Piotr: We created the manufactory from scratch. After all, its original stopped and later disappeared in 1944. Tiles for stoves from the 18th and 19th centuries became a dream. Later came wall tiles, lamps, trinkets, candlesticks, cups or plates. The laborious time of learning the whole process of firing ceramics, learning on one's own, but also the first employees. After all, there was no one who knew how to do it. And so after two years of trials, errors, corrections, we erected the first Elblag tile kiln. Later came the Gdansk stoves.
Now the manufactory has almost 350 types of tiles. However, we do not focus on stoves and fireplaces alone. We also add elements such as reconstructions of ceramic wall coverings for staircases, kitchens and bathrooms. We also have an offer for contemporary interiors. As a result, you can see our products in the Pod Blachą Palace in Warsaw (a stove in the War Cabinet of Prince Józef Poniatowski), a ceramic bar in the Hotel Puro in Gdansk, the large ceramic painted hood in the restaurant at the Hyatt Hotel in Sochi or the stove in the Ciekocinko Palace and many other places. Our trinkets, such as miniature candlestoves, are probably already standing in several thousand homes in Poland and abroad. We use our ceramics a bit like a woodworker. We match it to walls, furniture, doorframes or kitchens. Everything is made to measure according to individual designs.
Tiles for stoves from the 18th and 19th centuries have become a dream.
© Piotr Ciszek
Basia: What was particularly important to you in creating this place?
Piotr: The atmosphere was and is important. The palace and its surroundings are not an ordinary hotel. It is simply our home. We live here and visitors are our guests. We don't have a reception desk or casual staff. Guests interact with us from the very door. The spirit of a home open to different cultures, knowledge and nationalities permeates the interiors. It's important for everyone to feel at home, not a hotel like many.
