Rytro

State of preservation:		A rebuilt keep and a not large fragment of the wall have preserved of the castle
Admission:		The entrance to the castle is free of charge
Parking:		There is no parking lot nearby
Searching difficulty:		The ruins are visible from a distance so they are very easy to find
Access difficulty:		The access to the castle is very difficult since you must climb up the high hill
Subjective rating:		Nice ruins, a pleasant place and beautiful views

Driving directions:

Driving down the road no 87 from Nowy Sącz towards Piwniczna-Zdrój you pass through Rytro. There, following the main road, you need to arrive at the second end of the town (on the left side on the hilltop the ruins will be visible). Right past the white board indicating the end of Rytro you must turn left towards Sucha Struga, and then past the footbridge turn left again. From there already the boards lead to the castle. Following their indication you must go uphill through the forest. When you reach a pass, you must turn left and go briskly down the path uphill. At its top are the ruins of the castle.


Historical outline:

The castle in Rytro was built the most probably at the end of the XIIIth cent. Thus far it failed to establish who an initiator of the construction was. Jan Długosz claimed that an original owner was Piotr Wydżga, however there is no evidence for that. It is known that the castle performed a protective function of a customs house over Poprad. From the document from 1312 it is also known that the monastery of St. Clare from Stary Sącz obtained the possibility of the collection of duty by the castle.
During the reign of Władysław I the Elbow-high a castle was the part of demesne, while from the beginning of the XVth cent. it was in the hands of leaseholders. They were not, however taking care excessively of the castle since in the XVIth cent., soon after its abandonment by the last of the leaseholders, the castle decayed. The inspection from the years of 1616-1617 confirms it.


Pictures:




Nearest castles:

Białawoda

Nowy Sącz

Nawojowa

Czorsztyn

Niedzica