Liw Castle

A brick gate tower above the Liwiec river is what remains of a Gothic watch-castle that for a century and a half guarded a river crossing on Mazovia's eastern border with Lithuania. Today Liw Castle houses the Armoury Museum – with weapons from Roman times to the 20th century, Gothic cellars and a rebuilt Baroque manor house. And during the Second World War it was saved by a local activist who convinced the Germans it was a castle of the Teutonic Knights.

History: a watch-castle on an artificial island

The castle was founded by Duke Janusz I the Elder of Mazovia, who before 1429 commissioned the master builder Niclos. The stronghold was raised on an artificial island, on oak piles driven into the marshy ground, on the west side of the broad Liwiec floodplain. A long causeway and a wooden bridge linked it to the town. The plan was almost square (about 33 × 32.5 m), the walls originally about 8 m high, with a gate building and drawbridge in front.

In the 16th century the castle was enlarged twice: first under Duchess Anna of Mazovia, who had the walls and residential house raised, then on the initiative of Queen Bona Sforza, when the gate gained further storeys and became a tower. After the Union of Lublin in 1569 the border moved far to the east and Liw lost its military role. In 1657 the Swedes bombarded the castle and burned it after taking it; more damage followed in 1700 and 1703. In 1782, on the initiative of the district governor Tadeusz Grabianka, a brick Baroque manor house with a mansard roof was built on the site of the former Small House, serving as the seat of the district office and court.

Saved by a ruse

After the offices moved to Siedlce, the ruins were slowly dismantled. During the Second World War the German occupation authorities took an interest in the castle because a local activist, Otto Warpechowski, had convinced them it was of Teutonic origin. The Germans secured the walls and began rebuilding the tower, but stopped when the truth came out. In 1944 the castle was damaged again in the fighting. The manor house was rebuilt in 1957–1961, and in 1963 the Armoury Museum opened in it.

What to see

• the gate tower – with views over the Liwiec valley; in 1549 the armoury on its third level held 28 hand cannons,
• the Gothic cellars of the former Great House, now a gallery for temporary exhibitions,
• the weapons collection – edged weapons and firearms, armour, helmets and uniforms from Roman-era finds to the 20th century,
• the painting gallery in the Baroque manor.

Good to know

The castle has its own legend of the Yellow Lady – the castellan's wife Ludwika, wrongly executed for alleged infidelity when three rings he had given her vanished. The jewels later turned up in a magpie's nest in the tower. According to the tale, her ghost in a yellow gown appears on the walls at full moon.

Tripto tip

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday; from 1 October to 30 April from 10:00 to 16:00, longer in the summer season (until 18:00 in July and August). A standard ticket costs PLN 20, reduced PLN 15, and entry is free on Wednesdays (as of October 2026). Note: from 12 October to 31 December 2026 the Baroque manor is closed to visitors – the Gothic cellars and the tower remain open. Allow about an hour; a guide can be booked for PLN 100 in Polish or PLN 150 in English. In summer the museum holds outdoor events in front of the castle, including knights' tournaments.