One of the first thoughts when hearing the word Poland might not be related with touristic places, mainly because this country is still not well-known around the world for having unique places that take your breath way because of their beauty, which is something good because those places preserve their uniqueness.
Poland a Country Rich in Touristic Attractions
Poland is a country where you can find basically everything: from extraordinary beaches in the Trojmiasto area in the north of Poland, to the majestic Tatra mountains in the South of the country. From crystalline lakes in the Mazury area in the North-East part, to fairy tale cities like Wrocław in the South-West region of the country.
Poland is also famous because of having beautiful castles, which are imposing at first sight. I want to share with you 7 of the Most Stunning and Amazing Polish Castles which will make you fall in love with them and you will like to buy a ticket plane right now to visit them.
Malbork Castle – The Largest Castle in the World
This castle is located in a Polish town in the north of Poland called Malbork. This extraordinary construction is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle was built in the 13. century, and it served as one of the several Polish royal residences in the past.
This Polish castle is the largest castle in the world measured by land area (143,591 square meters), and is the largest brick building in Europe. With no doubt a must-see place in Poland and in Europe.
Wawel Royal Castle – Where Once a Terrible Dragon Lived
This is one of the main attractions in Poland, and is located right in the center of Kraków. It was started to be built in 1333, this castle and the Wawel Hill constitute one of the the most historically and culturally important sites in Poland.
One of the most famous Polish legends is the existence of a terrible dragon that lived on the Wawel Hill. This dragon spited fire, which allowed him to live as he wanted and be totally free in the city. No inhabitant, including the King, knew from where that terrible monster had come, until a young shoe-maker came up with a plan to kill this terrible creature.
Nowadays if you visit this castle you will find a sculpture of the dragon which splits fire, and also at the top of the castle you will see the dragon bones!
Niedzica Castle – Where a Peruvian Princess Lived Once
The construction of the Niedzica Castle (Zamek w Niedzicy in Polish) started in 1320 by a Hungarian known as the Kokos of Brezovica. This castle is located in the South part of Poland, just above the Dunajec River, right in the Czorsztyn Lake and really close to the border with Slovakia. In the past this castle was used as the border between Hungary and Poland.
Centuries ago, Sebastian Brezevichy (son of the caste’s owner) traveled to Peru. When he was there he fell in love with an Inca princess named Umina. Both of them decided to travel to live in this castle in Poland. Umina was murdered because it was believed she was hiding an Inca treasure in the castle.
Książ Castle – Where the Nazi’s Train Gold Seems to be Located
This castle with difficult name is located in the South-West part of Poland in the Wałbrzych region, really close to the border with the Czech Republic. The construction of this castle started in 1288 and after 4 years this beauty was completed.
This castle was confiscated once by the Nazi regime in 1941. During the Second World War, apparently this castle was meant to be one of Hitler’s main quarters. Also, many underground tunnels were built there, and it was believed that the famous Nazi train gold is in one of those numerous tunnels.
Czocha Castle – The Place Where You can Experience How to be a Student Wizard
This castle was built in the XIV century, and is located in the West of Poland, really close to the borders with Germany and Czech Republic. The castle was designed to be a fortress, that is one of the main reasons of its design.
This castle was seriously damaged during the wars, and many of its items and furniture were stolen. It also served in the past as a shelter for Greek refugees. Nowadays, the castle is a luxurious hotel and it’s also a place that offers ultimate Hogwarts sleepover for Harry Potter fans. If you would like to experience how to be a student wizard, the College of Wizardry is for you!
Moszna Castle – The Place with Infinite Rooms
The name of this castle literally means scrotum, but it is more beautiful than that :P It is located in the South-West part of Poland, and it was built in the XVII century. The castle has over 300 rooms and total area of 7,000 square meters.
Once, this castle served as a Centre for Therapies of Neuroses, but nowadays the castle and its gardens serve as places which tourists can visit. This castle was occupied during the II World War by the Red Army.
Krzyżtopór Castle – The One With the Unpronounceable Name
The name of this castle is quite difficult to pronounce. It is located in the South-East part of Poland in the village called Ujazd. It was built by Wawrzyniec Senes in 1641. This castle was the largest in Europe until the Palace of Versailles was built in France.
Curious facts about this castle is that it had as many windows as there are days in a year, as many chambers as there are weeks, as many rooms as there are months and as many towers as there are seasons of the year. Impressive isn’t it?
Unique Places to Visit in Poland
Those castles in Poland are with no doubt unique places to visit in this European Country. Some of them seemed to be inspired in Disney movies or fairytales stories.
Personally, the castle that I like the most is Niedzica castle mainly because its legend is related to a Latin-American princess. What about you? Which is your favorite castle in Poland?
4 Comments
Wawel Royal Castle famous for the Dragon
Czocha, Moszna, Ksiaz , Malbork are today in Poland, but this is not polish architecture… Thats funny
15.000 years of tradition and you saying it’s not a Polish architecture :D… Good bless you…
Great list! But it’s worth to mention that in the heart of Poznan, you can find the Imperial Castle. It’s the youngest castle in Europe. It has very rich and interesting history, definitely worth to read about it (and visit of course!)