Olsztyn (Warmia-Masuria Province)

State of preservation:		The castle has remained in its entirety
Admission:		The entrance to the castle is paid
Parking:		There is a free parking lot by the very castle
Searching difficulty:		The building is visible from afar on condition that you are in a proper part of the town
Access difficulty:		The access to the castle from a parking lot is not a challenge
Subjective rating:		The castle of an average beauty

Driving directions:

Olsztyn is the capital of the Warmia-Masuria Province and therefore there should not be any problems with finding it. If you enter the town from the west along the road no 16, you need to head for the center. At the big crossroads by the Town Council (That is a little palace on the left side of the road) you have to turn left and drive to the old town. There the castle will be noticeable from a distance.


Historical outline:

Former name: Allenstein

Construction of the castle on the right riverside of Nysa was started in the middle of the XIVth cent. It was the property of Warmian chapter and originally it had nothing common with a village situated east of it, which is the town since 1353, currently styled as Olsztyn. It can be admitted that the building of the castle was finished in the last twenty years of the XIVth cent., however diverse construction works lasted with short breaks till the XVIth cent., since when in turn refurbishments of the stronghold began. In the XVth cent. the castle was interconnected with town walls, but it maintained its defensive independence. In the XVIth cent. a canon Mikołaj Kopernik administered the castle. In 1772 the Warmia was annexed to Prussia and as a result of secularization of chapter possessions the castle became the property of the Prussian state. In 1821 and 1827 the stronghold was consumed by fires. In the years of 1909-1911 a portion of the castle was regothicized in consequence of construction works preparing the building for a seat of president of Olsztyn government district. The castle was not destroyed during the World War II and it currently houses the Museum of Warmia and Masuria.


Pictures:




Nearest castles: