The tiny village of Żelazowa Wola (zheh-lah-zo-vah vo-lah), 53km west of Warsaw, is the birthplace of Frédéric Chopin, and the house where he was born on 1 March 1810 has been reconstructed and furnished in period style to create a museum. It’s a lovely little country house with extensive, beautiful gardens. Exhibits examine the story of the Chopin family's time here. The tranquillity and charm of the place make it a lovely stop.
Piano recitals, often performed by top-rank virtuosos, are normally held here each Sunday from May to September. There are usually two concerts, up to an hour long, at noon and 3pm; there’s no fee other than the park entry ticket. Other seasonal recitals can be heard Thursday to Saturday. The museum is a branch of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw. The modern visitor centre has lockers and a cafe.
Motobuss (www.motobuss.eu) runs buses between central Warsaw and Sochaczew that stop in Żelazowa Wola (11zł, two hours, 12 daily). Buses depart from a stop adjacent to the Wars Sawa Junior mall, near the intersection with ul Złota.
