Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes in Słupsk

The pale building with a slender tower above the Słupia river is the last residence of the Griffin dynasty that you can visit today as a museum. The castle was built in 1507 under Duke Bogislaw X, and a few steps away, in the White Granary run by the same museum, hangs the world's largest collection of works by Witkacy.

History: from dukes to a grain store

The castle was built in Gothic style within the old Słupsk stronghold, right by the river. In 1580–1587 it was remodelled into a two-storey Renaissance residence with large windows and a decorative tower. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was home to the Dukes of Pomerania from the Griffin dynasty.

After 1653, when the Słupsk area passed to Brandenburg, the building declined. In the second half of the 18th century it served as barracks, and after a fire in 1821 as a grain store. After the Second World War it was restored and the tower cap rebuilt, and since 1965 it has housed the Museum of Central Pomerania. Another major renovation in 2007 restored the façades and the gardens along Zamkowa Street.

What to see

The castle holds four permanent exhibitions:

• "Treasures of the Pomeranian Dukes" – objects linked to the last Griffins,
• "From Słupsk's Past" – the history of the town and its people,
• "Early Art of Pomerania, 14th–18th Century" – Gothic sculpture, Renaissance tapestries, arms, furniture from Pomeranian manors and coins,
• "At the Common Table" – cutlery and kitchenware from the 17th to the 21st century.

Next door stands the Castle Mill, about two hundred years older than the castle, with ethnographic displays. Close by, in the White Granary opened in 2019, you can see paintings, drawings and prints by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), the Polish avant-garde artist and writer, along with contemporary art.

What to look for

In front of the entrance stands a statue of Bogislaw X from 2010, and in the castle gardens a sculpture called "Charging Boars" from 1965. In summer, in good weather, you can climb the tower for a view over the roofs of old Słupsk and the Słupia valley.

Interesting facts

• The Witkacy collection was started by museum director and art historian Janusz Przewoźny. Until 2017 it was shown in the castle.
• The museum's holdings include a 17th-century silver altarpiece from Darłowo.

Tripto tip

Allow about 1.5 hours for the castle and mill, and the same for the White Granary. Tickets are separate: castle and mill cost PLN 24 (reduced PLN 18), the tower PLN 10, the White Granary PLN 30 (reduced PLN 24). In the autumn and winter season, Tuesdays are free for the permanent exhibitions. Ticket desks close an hour before the end of visiting time, and the museum is closed on Mondays.