Grodno Castle

The castle rises out of the forest on the summit of Choina hill, 450 metres above sea level, with Lake Bystrzyca spread out below. Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie guarded the valley of the Bystrzyca river, which separates the Owl Mountains from the Wałbrzych Mountains. After its 16th-century expansion the whole complex was about 170 metres long. Today it combines a museum, a viewpoint and, since 2018, a hotel and restaurant.

History: from Piast dukes to a mountain inn

Tradition credits its construction to Bolko I, Duke of Świdnica and Jawor, but there is no firm evidence. The oldest surviving Gothic walls most likely date from the time of Duke Bernard and his brother Bolko II. After the death of Duchess Agnes in 1392 the castle passed to the Bohemian Crown. In the 15th century, during the Hussite Wars, it was held by knights who lived by robbery. The biggest rebuilding came in 1545–1587 under Matthias von Logau. He added buildings in the courtyard, a long gate passage, an extra ring of walls and an elongated outer bailey with bastions.

During the Thirty Years' War the Swedes captured and partly destroyed the castle. It stood empty from 1774, and in 1789 part of the south wing slid away. It was rescued several times: in 1824, in 1868–1869 and in 1904, when the sgraffito decoration was restored and a mountain hostel with an inn opened. There has been a museum here since 1965, founded by the Wałbrzych branch of the Polish Tourist Society (PTTK). Since 2008 the castle has belonged to the Walim municipality, which brought a water supply to the summit and opened the hotel and restaurant in April 2018.

What to see

• The upper castle – the Gothic core, about 950 m², surrounded by a crenellated wall.
• The gatehouse in the outer bailey, richly decorated with sgraffito and a sundial.
• The chapel portal, with Corinthian columns and a frieze of eight noble coats of arms, including von Logau and von Reibnitz, beneath an imperial eagle held by griffins.
• The tower, with views of the Owl Mountains, the Wałbrzych Mountains and Lake Bystrzyca.
• The museum, with objects found in the castle after the war and items on loan from the museum in Wałbrzych.

Interesting facts

According to the German linguist Heinrich Adamy, the name comes from the Polish word "choina", meaning a conifer. The Germans turned it into Kynsburg, and after 1945 the castle was renamed Grodno. The best-known legend tells of Małgorzata, the castellan's daughter, who pushed a suitor off a cliff. Her father punished her by walling her up in a dungeon to starve. Visitors are shown a skeleton said to be hers. The castle also features in Paul Keller's 1902 novel "Waldwinter", and scenes for its 1936 film adaptation were shot here.

Tripto tip

The castle stands on a wooded summit above Zagórze Śląskie, and the ground around the walls is uneven, so wear comfortable shoes. Several marked trails pass nearby: the green Piast Castles Trail, the yellow route from Wałbrzych to Wrocław and the blue European long-distance path E3. Allow 1.5–2 hours for the castle, museum and tower. Add a walk around Lake Bystrzyca and it becomes a full-day trip. Check opening hours and ticket prices on the castle website. For a quieter visit, come on a weekday morning, and a night in the castle hotel lets you stay until sunset.