Pieniny Castle (St Kinga's Castle)

In the 13th century even Kraków's Wawel still had defences of timber and earth, yet deep in the Pieniny Mountains a stone castle built with mortar was already standing – one of the first of its kind in Poland. The ruins of Pieniny Castle, also called St Kinga's Castle, lie hidden in the forest on the northern slope of Zamkowa Góra in the Three Crowns (Trzy Korony) massif. You pass them on a hiking trail, and they are worth a stop for the story of a duchess who hid her nuns here from the Mongols.

History: St Kinga's refuge

The fortress is associated with Kinga, Duchess of Kraków, who lived in the convent of the Poor Clares in Stary Sącz. It was probably built in the early 1280s as a refugium – a hideaway used only during raids – and could shelter about a hundred people and several dozen soldiers. The first reliable record, from the early 14th century, says that during the third Mongol invasion in 1287 Kinga took refuge here with the nuns. Excavations in the late 1970s confirmed the link between the castle and the duchess.

The castle probably lost its role in the 14th century and was abandoned in the 15th. Later it became a place of devotion to Kinga and the home of two hermits. The ruins were entered in the register of historic monuments on 18 April 2003. In 2006–2007 the Pieniny National Park excavated and secured the walls, and in autumn 2009 opened them to visitors. In 2017 part of the cellar vault in the gatehouse collapsed and the site was closed; in 2020–2021 the park carried out repairs aimed at reopening it.

What to see

• The shield wall of local limestone – about 90 m long and 120 cm thick – curving gently between two rocky ridges. The hilltop it cuts off is surrounded by cliffs.
• The narrow postern on the west side, just wide enough for one person.
• Remains of two buildings and a cistern of well-dressed stone; a spring, later believed to have healing powers, probably rose here before the castle was built.
• Just below the ruins, St Kinga's Grotto, where annual celebrations in honour of the saint are held.

Interesting facts

The walls stand at 740–760 m above sea level. If the summit of Zamkowa Góra (792.7 m) was fortified too, this would be the highest-lying stone castle in the Polish Carpathians. The fortress was placed so that it could not be seen from the valleys or the surrounding peaks. The stone steps from the trail to the ruins were laid in the early 20th century, when the grotto was carved out – using stone taken from the castle walls. Edelweiss grows among the ruins, probably planted in the 19th century by the Tatra Society.

Tripto tip

The ruins are on the blue trail to Trzy Korony; they are just under 3 km from the "Trzy Korony" PTTK mountain hostel in Sromowce Niżne and almost 7 km from the "Orlica" hostel. The path is rocky with steps – wear good shoes; it is not suitable for pushchairs. Pieniny National Park does not charge for entry to the park itself; fees apply to some sites such as the viewing platforms on Trzy Korony and Sokolica. Check the park's trail bulletin before you set off – after rain the paths can be slippery and muddy. 20–30 minutes is enough at the ruins and grotto, but the whole hike takes several hours.