Alphabetical index
a palace in Wilanów
Babice
Bagieniec
Baranów Sandomierski
Barciany
Bardo
Barwałd Górny
Baszków
Bąkowa Góra
Besiekiery
Będzin
Białaczów
Białawoda
Biecz
Biedrzychowice
Bielsko-Biała
Bierutów
Bobolice (Lower Silesian province)
Bobolice (Silesia Province)
Bobrowniki
Bobrów
Bobrów Castle
Bochotnica
Bodzentyn
Bolczów Castle
Bolesławiec (Łódz Province)
Bolków
Bolmin
Borów Polski
Borysławice Zamkowe
Borzygniew
Bożków
Brok
Bronów
Brzeg
Bychawa
Byczyna
Bydlin
Bytów
Chełmo
Chęciny
Chlewiska
Chobienia
Chocianowiec
Chocianów
Chocz
Chojnik Castle
Chojnów
Chudów
Chwarszczany
Ciechanowice
Ciechanów
Ciepłowody
Cieszków
Cieszyn
Cisy Castle (of the Cis family)
Czarny Bór
Czchów
Czemierniki
Czerna
Czernina
Czersk
Częstochowa
Człuchów
Czoch Castle
Czorsztyn
Czyżów Szlachecki
Decjusz’s Villa
Dęblin
Dębno
Dobczyce
Dobra
Domanice
Dunajec Castle
Dzierżoniów
Dzietrzychowice
Dziewin
Frombork
Frydman
Giebułtów
Głogów
Głogówek
Gniew
Gniewoszów
Gola
Gola Dzierżoniowska
Golczewo
Golub-Dobrzyń
Gołuchów
Gorzanów
Gościszów
Góra
Górka Castle
Grodno Castle
Grodziec (Lower Silesia Province)
Grodziec (Silesian Province)
Grodziec Castle
Gryf Castle
Gryfów Śląski
Grzędy (Wojaczów)
Grzmiąca
Henry's Castle
Iłża
Janowice Wielkie
Janowiec
Jawor
Jelcz-Laskowice
Jelenia Góra
Jelenia Góra-Sobieszów
Jeżów (Wilczyska)
Jędrzychów
Kamieniec
Kamieniec Ząbkowicki
Kamienna Góra
Karpień Castle
Karpniki
Karpno (Lądek Zdrój)
Kazimierz Dolny
Kąty Wrocławskie
Kętrzyn
Kliczków
Kłaczyna
Kłodzko
Koło
Konradów Castle
Kozienice
Kozłówka
Koźmin Wielkopolski
Kożuchów
Kórnik
Kraków
Kraków
Kraków – Branice
Krasków
Krąg
Krobielowice
Krosno Odrzańskie
Krupe
Krzyżtopór Castle
Książ Castle
Książ Wielki
Kurozwęki
Kwidzyn
Lanckorona
Legnica
Lidzbark Warmiński
Lipa
Lipowiec Castle
Liw
Lubin
Lublin
Lubliniec
Lwówek Śląski
Łęczyca
Łodygowice
Łupki (Wleński Gródek)
Maciejowa (Jelenia Góra)
Malbork
Melsztyn
Melsztyn Castle
Mieroszów
Międzygórz
Międzylesie
Międzyrzecz
Mirów
Mirów Castle
Modła
Mokrsko Górne
Myślenice
Nawojowa
Nidzica
Nieborów
Niedzica
Niesytno Castle
Nowy Dwór Castle
Nowy Jasiniec
Nowy Sącz
Nowy Wiśnicz
Ogrodzieniec Castle
Ojców
Oleśnica
Oleśnica Mała
Olsztyn (Silesian Province)
Olsztyn (Warmia-Masuria Province)
Oława
Opole
Oporów
Ostróda
Ostrzeszów
Oświęcim
Otmuchów
Owiesno
Panków
Papowo Biskupie
Pastuchów
Pęzino
Pieskowa Skała
Pieszyce (Rościszów)
Piotrowice Świdnickie
Płakowice
Płonina
Podskale Castle
Podzamcze
Podzamcze Piekoszowskie
Proszówka
Przezmark
Przymiłowice Castle
Pszczyna
Rabsztyn
Raciążek
Radosno Castle
Radzyń Chełmiński
Rakowice Wielkie 1
Rakowice Wielkie 2
Reszel
Rogowiec Castle
Rogów Sobócki
Rudnica
Rudno
Rybnica
Rybnica Leśna
Rytro
Rząsiny
Sędziszowa
Siedlęcin
Siewierz
Skała
Słupice
Służejów
Small Wawel
Smoleń
Sobota
Sobótka - Górka
Sobótka (Ślęża Mountain)
Sokolec Castle
Sosnówka Dolna
Sośnicowice
Stadnicki’s Palace
Stara Kamienica
Stara Kraśnica
Stary Książ Castle
Stolec
Stoszowice
Stoszów
Sucha
Sucha Beskidzka
Szreńsk
Szydłowiec
Szydłów (Świętokrzyskie Province)
Szymbark (Lesser Poland Province)
Szymbark (Warmian-Masurian Province)
Świdnica
Świecie (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Province)
Świecie (Lower Silesia Province)
Świny
Tarnowiec
Tenczyn Castle
The Barwałd Castle
The Szczerba Castle
Toszek
Tropsztyn Castle
Trzciniec
Trzebień
Ujazd (Świętokrzyskie Province)
Uniejów
Uraz
Wałbrzych
Wałbrzych
Wałbrzych
Warmątowice Sienkiewiczowskie
Warszawa
Warta Bolesławiecka
Wawel Castle
Wąsosz
Wiadrów
Wielkie Trzcińsko
Wieruszyce
Witków
Witostowice
Wleń Castle
Wojanów
Wojcieszów
Wojnowice
Wolibórz (Garncarz Mountain)
Wolibórz (Jodłownik, Zamkowa Mountain)
Wołów
Wrocław (Armory)
Wrocław (Leśnica)
Wrocław (Ostrów Tumski)
Wrocław (University of Wrocław)
Wronin Castle
Wronów (Ronow) Castle
Wysoka
Wytrzyszczka
Zagórze Śląskie
Zapusta (Rajsko)
Ząbkowice Śląskie
Ziębice
Złoty Stok
Żary
Żelazno
Żmigród
 

Ojców



State of preservation: Ruins The ruins
Admission: Paid entry The entrance to the castle is paid
Parking: Paid parking There is a parking lot at the foothill. Admittedly, many people park for free in “no parking” zone by the road running right next to the stronghold, however the police patrols in there very often and that kind of free way of parking may turn out to be very expensive.
Searching difficulty: Very easy The keep of the castle is visible from a distance if you hike through Prądnik Valley, so it is easy to reach it. However, if you arrive there by car, then a vast concentration of illegally parked vehicles explicitly indicates locality of the castle.
Access difficulty: Easy Depending from which side you approach the castle, a straight walking avenue or high stairs lead up to there. Thus, statistically the access is easy.
Subjective rating: Ordinary This building engenders mixed feelings. In the summer it does not enrapture, whereas in the fall it is lovely among colorful trees. Thus, it is average in general.

Driving directions:

Ojców is situated 25 km north of Cracow. You may arrive at there in many ways, but the easiest one is to reach there down the road no 794 from Cracow to Wolbrom. After traveling 20 km, in Skała you need to turn left at the traffic circle, into the road no 773 towards Olkusz. There a road leads steeply downwards. After driving to the very bottom, at the Y-shaped junction you have to turn left to Ojców. Drive down the main road all the way long as far as the next intersection. There a main road turns sharply to the right, while directly opposite is a lane of the third category of snow-clearing. That is exactly the road you must drive along straight ahead as far as a paid parking lot at the foot of the castle.


Historical outline:

A royal castle in Ojców sprang into existence in the second half of the XIVth cent. on the initiative of Kazimierz Wielki, which is confirmed in unison by Jan from Czarnków and Jan Długosz. Some historians claim indeed that earlier existed there a defensive structure or that the Ojców castle was raised by Władysław Łokietek, nonetheless there is no proof of that. Also a document from 1354 contradicts these hypotheses, by virtue of which the king, by way of exchange received a village Smardzowice from a bishop of Cracow, where he later erected a stronghold. The following document from 1370 mentions an already existing castle on the lands of Smardzowice.
The stronghold of Ojców (Father’s), despite its name, was treated unfairly (stepmotherly). The most frequently it was an object of royal pawns, and this tradition was laid down in 1400 by Władysław Jagiełło. For that exact reason it is unknown to whom an enlargement of the castle ought to be ascribed. Only out of inspectional documents certain conclusions might be drawn. The first of them, from 1564 does not mention the castle at all, and only its sparse service, while the document from 1620 says that stronghold was very uncared-for, but a district governor Mikołaj Koryciński began its renovation. In reality these were many years of extending the castle on a grand scale.
The stronghold of Ojców survived the Swedish Deluge just because invaders used it as weaponry and food storehouse. At the turn of the XVIIIth cent. and the XIXth cent. under the Austrian rule the castle fell into decline, and in 1829 a disassembly of its walls was started. Attempts at saving the building were already made in the XIXth cent. and renewed at the beginning of the XXth cent. Unfortunately, without effect. At present, not much has remained of the castle.


Pictures:

Ojców - wieże
Ojców
Ojców - wieże
Ojców
Ojców - baszta
Ojców
Ojców - brama wejściowa
Ojców
Ojców - dziedziniec
Ojców
Ojców - resztki murów
Ojców
Ojców - resztki murów
Ojców
Ojców - wnętrzne baszty
Ojców
Ojców - rekonstrukcja zamku
Ojców



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