Rudno - Tenczyn Castle

State of preservation:		The stronghold has survived till now in the form of vast ruins
Admission:		Officially since the beginning of 2009 the entrance to the castle has been impossible. However, the padlock of the gate appears and disappears due to various instruments of torture :-) So there is a sporting chance for seeing the castle inside.
Parking:		By the very castle there is a paid parking lot. Beside it, at the foot of the castle there is a free forest parking lot, which is, however frequently visited by the lovers of somebody else's car radio.
Searching difficulty:		The signposts lead up to the castle, so it is very easy to find the way to it
Access difficulty:		From the paid parking lot you go down the flat path to the castle, which is not tiresome. From the free forest parking lot you need to climb the sharp hill up to the castle.
Subjective rating:		Lovely ruins

Driving directions:

As to arrive in Rudno you ought to head the road no 79 from Cracow for Krzeszowice. After arriving in Krzeszowice, you need to turn left at the second junction with the traffic lights, on which there will be the road on the left. After a few hundred meters you should drive through the level crossing and drive straight on to the main road. There turn right and drive ahead all way long. In the village Tenczynek there is a sharp turn on the left, past which, after a few hundred meters, the first signpost to the castle will lead up on the right. If you choose that way, following the signposts, you will reach a paid parking lot.
If you, however, want to reach a free parking lot, you need to pass the first signpost and after covering next a few hundred meters you need to turn right (opposite the church on the left). Then you ought to drive ahead down an asphalt road full of holes all the time. On the way on the right side you pass pond and not far away from it you need to look out for the forest parking lot on the right side of the road. From there you follow the yellow trail up to the castle.


Historical outline:

In spite of the great popularity that Tenczyn Castle in Rudno enjoys, its history is not fully learnt. Most researchers claim that the castle in Rudno was founded by Andrzej of Topór coat of arms, Nawój's son from Morawica, in the second quarter of the XIVth cent. There is a hypothesis, however, that it was Nawój who started the construction a few years earlier, whereas Andrzej just completed it. The order of stumping the forest called Tenczyn given by Nawój in 1319 indicates that. The first document mentioning the castle originates in 1402, but the burgraves of the castle have been already known since 1400.
The Tęczyńskis ruled the castle till 1639, when Izabela Tęczyńska carried the castle in as a dowry to Łukasz Opaliński of Łodzia coat of arms. In 1655 the castle came into the Swedes' hands without fighting, who then burnt it down, when they were leaving local territories. The stronghold being in worse and worse condition was being passed within the next years to the Sieniawskis, the Czartoryskis as well as the Potockis' hands.


Pictures:




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