Ostróda

State of preservation:		The castle has survived as the whole
Admission:		To the courtyard you may enter for free, whereas admission to the museum is paid
Parking:		There is a free parking lot by the castle
Searching difficulty:		The castle stands by the main road, so it is very easy to find
Access difficulty:		The access to the building from the parking lot is not exhausting
Subjective rating:		The structure of an average appearance

Driving directions:

Ostróda is a comparatively large town of Warmia-Masuria Province, located 36 km west of Olsztyn, thus there ought not to be any trouble finding it. After arriving at the town you need to direct to the center and drive down the main road all the time, by which stands the castle.




Historical outline:

Former name: Osterode

The castle in Ostróda was a seat of commandery formed in 1340 by the south border of the Teutonic state. Probably at the start of the XIvth cent. there existed a wooden-earth structure, however it failed to pinpoint it. The brick castle arose in the years of 1349-1380, and its creation is attributed to a commander Günther von Hohenstein. In 1381 the building was burnt down by Kiejstut, and its rebuilding took until 1397. In the first half of the XVIth cent. the castle became the seat of commandery. In the XVIIth cent. a defensive system of the castle was revamped, while an explosion of gunpowder in 1788 divested the building of the whole eastern wing. In 1807 Napoleon Bonaparte tarried in the castle, in the next centuries the structure fulfilled administrative functions. In 1945 the castle burnt down along with the town. The rebuilding started in 1977 has not been completed up to this day.


Pictures:




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