Poland's Famous Castles

Located in the northern region of Poland on the Vistula River is a state called Torun. Today, some 200,000 people live there. Within this state is a capital city called the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship. Prior to 1999, the city was the capital of Torun Voivodship and then from 1921 to 1939, Pomeranian Voivodship. Located near the Geographic Center of Europe, the town is medieval and on the list of World Heritage Sites.

There, you will find the Teutonic Knights Castle, the first to be built in the Lands of Chelmno. This particular site is elevated, carefully chosen by the knights where it could be centralized. The castle was designed with a semicircular shape and from several excavations over the years, it was discovered that at one time, a fort also existed. From 1233 to 1236, construction began and while it started out as a wooden structure, this was later replaced with stone and brick.
Then during the 13th and 14th centuries, the Commander Castle was built. In the south wing of the castle were a dormitory, kitchen, and chapel. Included in the design of this castle were a huge octagonal tower, chapter house, sanitary tower, a well, and other household buildings. In 1410 during once the Battle of Grunwald ended, the walls on the exterior of the castle were fortified but when fire broke out in 1420, no one came to help put it out. Soon after, a major uprising began whereby the castle was besieged by the citizens of Torun. In just four days, they had conquered the castle and following the town council’s order, it was destroyed. Today, you will only find the lower part of the castle and portions of the moat.

Another exciting castle is the Dybowski Castle, located on the left bank of the Vistula River. The purpose of this castle was to be the seat of the Polish starosts, along with a military point whereby traffic on the river and Polish/Teutonic borders would be monitored and controlled. The castle went under construction sometime between 1423 and 1425 but according to historians, it was rebuilt a number of times. Then between 1998 and 2000, incredible archaeological works were conducted by a team, clearing away brush and fixing up the grounds and castle itself.

In 1431, the Dybowski Castle was conquered by Teutonic Knights who quickly began to reconstruct. The castle had a magnificent courtyard, tower with gate, tall walls, a fortress, and in 1454, the castle was granted nobleman’s privileges. Sadly, in the 17th century during the Swedish incursion, the castle suffered greatly. With intense firings, the inhabited portion of the castle was demolished. Even so, this castle was a very, efficient line of defense for the Torun in 1848 when the Prussian and Russian armies tried to take control of the city.

Until the 20th century, only a small portion of the castle was used. Although there are mostly ruins today, they are beautiful and a very, popular tourist attraction. Although the castle is gone, the design was massive and spacious. Cellars were divided, plastered with wooden floors, believed to have served as kitchens, warehouses, and utility rooms. It is said the castle was grand and with numerous excavations have been performed whereby pieces of medieval glass cups, early Renaissance glazed tiles estimated to be from the 16th century, and Gothic furnace tiles were found.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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