Olsztyn (Silesian Province) - Przymiłowice Castle

State of preservation:		Barely preserved ruins
Admission:		Admission to the ruins grounds is paid
Parking:		By the castle there is a small, paid parking lot
Searching difficulty:		The tower is observable from afar
Access difficulty:		To the ruins you walk along the walking avenue, but it is slightly uphill
Subjective rating:		Situation of the castle is very scenic, but not much has remained out of it, therefore only 3 stars

Driving directions:

Olsztyn lies 10 km south-east of Częstochowa. The easiest way is to reach it down the road no 46 from Częstochowa to Szczekociny. Being in the town it is sufficient to drive along the main road all the way long so as to see the tower of the castle on the hilltop towering over the place.


Historical outline:

According to Jan from Czarnków and Jan Długosz the castle in Olsztyn was founded by Kazimierz Wielki. However, in the light of historical research the popularity gained a hypothesis that it is rather Przymiłowice Castle, which mention records of the proceedings from 1306 between archbishop, Jakub Świnka and a bishop of Cracow, Jan Muskata. The name Olsztyn appears in the written documents not earlier than in 1341.
The stronghold was playing a defensive role for western boundaries of the Kingdom against assaults of Silesia and the Czech Republic. Somehow on the occasion the castle did duty as jail. In 1370 Ludwik Węgierski passed over a stronghold as a fief to a duke Władysław Opolczyk and the castle became the seat of court. As a result of nobility’s demands in 1391 Władysław Jagiełło conquered the castle, which was being since then leased to the most meritorious potentates’ houses. The first leaseholder was Jan Szczekocki of Odrowąż coat of arms, while after him were his son and grandson. The following lessees contributed to an enlargement and modernization of the castle. In 1587 the castle emerged victorious from a siege of archduke Maksymilian, however it did not resist the Swedes, who harried it in 1656. Since that time the castle has been remaining in ruin, whereas since 1722 a disassembly of walls was begun with the intention of constructing a church.


Pictures:




Nearest castles:

Częstochowa

Mirów

Bobolice (Silesia Province)