POLAND CASTLES
The largest castles in Poland
Wawel
Towering over Wawel Hill, Wawel Royal Castle is one of the most beautiful constructions around the world and the iconic symbol of Poland.
The first settlers in Wawel Hill date back to the Paleolithic period. Thousands of years later, during the eleventh century, the Polish monarchs built a Gothic-style Royal Castle on the hilltop. Throughout the centuries, the castle was reformed and its design was transformed into a Renaissance style structur
When the capital was moved to Warsaw in 1596, the Royal Castle was abandoned and looted by the Prussian army. The edifice was then occupied by the Austrians, who built city walls around the castle and transformed its interior, fortifying it. During the Second World War, the Palace was resided in by the Governor-General Hans Frank.
After so many vicissitudes, the Castle was rebuilt and is currently one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kraków.
Malbork
Teutonic castle in Malbork (German: Ordensburg Marienburg) - a three-part fortified fortress in the Gothic style with a cubage of over 250,000 m³. It consists of a low castle, a middle castle and a high castle. It is one of the largest preserved bands of Gothic architecture in the world. The original name of the castle used by the Teutonic Order was Marienburg, or Castle of Maria. From 14 September 1309 to 1457 the castle in Malbork was the seat of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, and the city the capital of the monastic state.
Książ
Książ (German: Fürstenstein) - a castle, currently located within the borders of Wałbrzych in the Książański Landscape Park. It is one of the elements of the Piastowski Castles Trail. It is the third largest castle in Poland (after the Malbork Castle and the Wawel Royal Castle). A small part of the palace complex is open to visitors, including the Piast castle located in the central part.