Castle Hill and Klimek Tower in Grudziądz

On a hill rising some 60 m above the Vistula once stood one of the mightiest Teutonic castles in the Chełmno Land. The Prussians took it apart for its bricks, German soldiers blew up the last surviving tower in 1945 – and the people of Grudziądz rebuilt it. Today the reconstructed Klimek tower is the best viewpoint in town, surrounded by the uncovered foundations of the castle. Admission is free.

History: from a wooden stronghold to a rebuilt tower

The Teutonic Knights built the first wooden fortifications here around 1235, and in the second half of the 13th century they began a brick castle; its first phase ended with the consecration of the chapel around 1299. Around 1300 a cylindrical bergfried-type tower – Klimek – went up in the north-west corner. It was 30 m high, served as a lookout and a prison, and was entered from the walls halfway up via a drawbridge-style footbridge. From 1466 the castle was the seat of royal starosts (governors) and hosted Polish kings including Casimir IV Jagiellon, Sigismund Augustus, Stephen Báthory and John III Sobieski. In 1796–1804, on the orders of the Prussian king Frederick William II, the fortress was almost entirely demolished and the bricks were used to build the citadel and a prison.

A tower saved by a queen

Klimek survived the demolition – according to tradition at the personal request of Queen Louise of Prussia, who stayed in Grudziądz in 1806 while fleeing Napoleon. A year later the top of the tower was damaged during the French siege of the fortress. In 1839 the town leased the hill and laid out a park, and the tower became a viewpoint and a symbol of Grudziądz. Around 1900 the castle well, 50 m deep, was excavated and terraces were built on the Podgórna Street side. On 5 March 1945 German soldiers blew Klimek up. Thanks to a citizens' committee, the base of the tower was uncovered in 2006–2007, and its reconstruction was completed in 2014.

What to see

• Klimek Tower – a cylindrical brick tower with a viewing terrace at the top.
• The castle ruins – foundations exposed during archaeological research since 2008, including remains of the south wing with the chapel and refectory, and cellars with cross vaults.
• The panorama of the Vistula valley and Grudziądz's famous granaries from the viewing platform.
• Curtain walls along Zamkowa and Tkacka streets and park terraces from 1901–1902.

Interesting facts

The castle chapel once housed the famous Grudziądz Polyptych from the late 14th century – a painted winged altarpiece. In 1338 part of the buildings on the river side slid into the Vistula, which shows just how steep the slope is. From 1936 to 1939 a Grudziądz bugle call, composed by Captain Stanisław Szpulecki, sounded from the tower. Swedish King Charles X Gustav and Tsar Peter the Great also stayed at the castle.

Tripto tip

Castle Hill and the tower are run by the Grudziądz Museum and are open free of charge, with no booking needed. According to the museum website, the hill is open November–February 9:00–16:00, in March and October 9:00–18:00, and April–September 9:00–20:00. Allow 45–60 minutes for the ruins and the tower. The light over the Vistula is loveliest in the late afternoon, when the sun sets over the valley. The hill lies just north of the Old Town, by Spichrzowa, Ratuszowa and Zamkowa streets, so it is easy to combine with a walk to the granaries and the museum on Wodna Street.