The only such palace of its kind in Europe, the elevation of the charming 19th-century ‘Hunting Lodge’ in the village of Moja Wola in western Poland is covered with cork oak bark imported from Portugal, intended to give it the air of a hunting lodge.

With an asking price of €1 million Mateusz Zapart from the Foundation for Saving Monuments and Natural Monuments said: “Location, history, forest, and hunting tradition are the assets of many old residences waiting for renovation.

“The overriding asset of the palace in Moja Wola is, however, its unique architecture on an international scale.

“This is evidenced by the fact that it attracts hundreds of tourists who, despite the lack of appropriate infrastructure, gather and admire the cork palace.”

Based on a design by a Polish architect, the palace was built in 1852 as one of the residences of Prussia’s Prince Wilhelm August von Braunschweig-Oels.

Following his death, in 1885 the estate was taken over by Baron Daniel von Diergardt for his wife Agnes von Diergardt née Klitzing, who added a brick tower and a wing with a dining room and library.

At the turn of the century, they increased the number of rooms to 36 and introduced polychromes and richly decorated stucco.

In 1941, the estate was inherited by a relative, Brygida von Klitzing—Baroness von Romberg—whose husband was a member of the Nazi party.

Used as an HQ, some of the palace outbuildings were also turned into a prisoner of war camp.

Following the advance of the Red Army, the palace emptied, and after the end of the war, became the property of the State Forests before being turned into the first forestry school for girls in 1975.

In the early 2000s, the building was handed over to the local authorities for tourist development but was then sold to a private buyer.

Since then, it has been left to slowly rot.

Mateusz Zapart said: “Due to its character, the palace and park complex in Moja Wola could be developed for tourism purposes.

“Its location in the Barycz Valley Landscape Park, in the vicinity of dense forest complexes and fishponds, already makes the place popular with tourists.

“Due to the multitude of rooms, the building can serve as a lodging base with a restaurant.

“Skillful revitalization of the park would open the possibility of giving it the character of an arboretum.”