Arche Group
Poland has an exceptionally strong, diverse, and internationally recognized tourism product. The country’s offering is not limited to traditional leisure alone, but is built on unique chain brands, urban tourism, and historical-nature tourism. As the CEO of Arche proves, creating a new tourism product does not necessarily require large financial outlays; all it takes is an optimistic approach, a bit of time, and energy. Building it is the process of creating a unique image for a place, region, or facility that attracts travelers through authentic experiences. This makes tourists more likely to choose a given offering and recommend it to others. Hence, sharing memories is of immense value both to the person sharing them and to those receiving them. It is a natural bridge connecting the past with the future, building our identity.
More than half a century ago, well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist, recipient of the prestigious Nansen Award from the UN — Władysław Grochowski — was connected with Lublin, where he attended the Fine Arts High School. It is worth adding here that in the late 1960s, Lublin was a dynamically developing provincial city with a population exceeding 200,000 residents, where intensive prefabricated concrete panel construction and modern housing estates were beginning to transform the old, provincial landscape.
It was precisely during this period that Grochowski’s numerous acquaintanceships and friendships were born — including first with Zbigniew, and later with his late brother Andrzej Kot. This now-recognized artist, whose techniques were zincography and linocut, drew a lot, primarily in ink and calligraphy, and in later years also used a xerograph, pastels, and crayons. Sometimes he made colorful drawings, but they were not very characteristic of him, as he became most recognized in Poland for his ex libris works. His pieces, often humorous, simple, almost childish, were frequently accompanied by wordplay. They aimed to add certain points simply from the artist, with a deeper message, and were often ambiguous. They frequently constituted a kind of self-joke. Furnished with simple graphic forms, they became a field for deeper analysis and ironic messaging. Today, the artist’s works can be found in, among others, the Independence Museum in Warsaw, the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz (Germany), and museums in Tokyo, as well as renowned libraries and academic centers. Władysław Grochowski often compares him to Nikifor.
Authentic tourism product
— This walk is not only memories of my own history from over 50 years ago, but also discovering interesting figures like Andrzej Kot and non-obvious places, because we are always looking for something completely unique. We want to build direct emotions and relationships among ourselves, and at Arche, like cats, we walk our own paths… It is worth creating your own tourism products wherever we can—unpretentious, casual, featuring authentic people, not requiring large financial outlays, but serving more to activate ourselves. Much like we have guides at our facilities across the country who used to be employees, because they are authentic, showing history from the perspective of their own experience. Let us also note that on such a walk we meet face-to-face, exchange experiences and memories, get a bit of exercise and activity, which is important for mental and physical health. On top of that, we meet new people, open-minded ones who will tell us something about themselves and add something to the mix. That is also why I organize such tours: to listen to others who remember those times. I hope such people show up. This is a pilot event that will probably expand in the future, because there are plenty of such interesting human stories in Poland. At the end of the walk, there will be the cherry on top, which is a wonderful vernissage of Andrzej’s works at the Gardzienice Gallery. Such walks can inspire others, and that is what it’s all about — explains Arche CEO Władysław Grochowski.
“Lublin Walk in Kot’s Footsteps”
The event will take place on Friday, October 2, 2026 — starting at 12:00 PM from the Sky bar on the roof of the Arche Hotel Lublin located at 30 Zamojska St. The program includes:
- a lecture by Władysław Grochowski regarding history and his friendship with Andrzej Kot,
- an address by representatives of the Gardzienice Gallery: curator Zuzanna Zubek Gańska and Jarosław Koziar — co-curator of the exhibition,
- an exhibition of visual riddles (“mamidła”) from Władysław Grochowski’s collection,
- a walk through the streets of the Old Town,
- a tour of Andrzej Kot’s exhibition at the Gardzienice Gallery, 5a Grodzka St.
Participation in the event is completely FREE, but registration is required:
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About Arche
The company carried out its first investments in Warsaw and Siedlce, and for two decades has been building across Poland. Currently, Arche is the largest Polish hotel chain with domestic capital, as well as a residential developer. The company started its operations 35 years ago and in its history has built over 12,000 apartments and houses, recently launching the 25th and 26th properties in its collection: Arche Garnizon Białystok and Arche Ożarów Mazowiecki, bringing its total to over 5,200 rooms. In the Lublin region, the company owns properties such as Arche Hotel Lublin, Zamek Janów Podlaski, and Arche Nałęczów (formerly the Militia Sanatorium), where the region’s largest conference center was recently opened. Most Arche properties are revitalized historic buildings. For years, the group has cared for historical monuments primarily out of a passion for saving our heritage, transforming forgotten properties into vibrant hotels, which constitutes its business model. Arche SA CEO Władysław Grochowski, together with his wife through the Lena Grochowska Foundation, has also been running extensive activities for years integrating communities and activating socially excluded individuals, people with intellectual disabilities, and those most in need. For this, at the end of 2023 at a gala in Geneva, he received one of the most important distinctions in the world — the prestigious Nansen Award, granted by the UN High Commissioner. And at the end of 2024, the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Award from India. The company’s strategy, known as “impact investing,” has successfully combined achieving financial goals with generating measurable social and environmental benefits for years.
