Castle Hill in Drohiczyn

For centuries this hill above the River Bug carried a stronghold fought over by Ruthenian, Lithuanian and Masovian princes. Not a single wall of the castle survives, but Castle Hill in Drohiczyn, the historic capital of Podlasie, is today the best viewpoint over the Bug valley. On the summit stands an obelisk from 1928, put up for the 10th anniversary of Poland regaining independence.

History: a borderland stronghold

The first wooden stronghold was built here in the 12th–13th century and was destroyed many times in raids. In 1382 it was razed by Duke Janusz of Masovia, and a year later, as Jagiełło's army took the castle, the defenders set fire to the timber fortifications at night. Rebuilt under the Jagiellonians, the castle gradually lost its military role and became the seat of the town court and the royal governor. From 1519 it held 52 Muscovite prisoners captured in a battle near Pskov for many years.

The Swedish Deluge brought the castle's end. In 1660 a Franciscan friar noted that it had been "burnt to the ground by the Muscovites", leaving only bare walls. The river did the rest: the hill kept sliding into the Bug, and the last tower, which housed a jail and a prison, was pulled down in 1788. Dressed stones from its walls are still found at the bottom of the former moat.

What to see

• The 1928 obelisk on top of the hill.
• The panorama of the Bug valley from the wooden terraces and railings.
• A Molotov Line bunker from 1940–1941 right next to the hill, part of the Soviet 62nd Brest Fortified Region.
• Zamkowa (Castle) Street – apart from the hill itself, the only reminder of the former castle.

Did you know?

Drohiczyn has fewer than 1,800 inhabitants, yet it is the seat of a diocese, making it the smallest town in Poland with a bishop. According to tradition, it was here in 1253 that a papal legate crowned Daniel of Galicia king of Ruthenia. Archaeologists have excavated on Castle Hill in 1886–1888, 1955 and 2011, among other years.

Tripto tips

Access to the hill is free, and a walk with a short climb up the steps takes about 30 minutes. The light over the Bug valley is best in the morning and before sunset. Paths can be slippery after rain. Combine your visit with a walk around Drohiczyn: the cathedral, the former Franciscan friary, the Orthodox church and the Regional Museum.