Stara Baśń Castle in Grybów

Legend has it that the dragon Grynboss got his wings stuck in a tower of the stronghold in Grybów because he kept greedily stealing the castellan's herbal liqueurs. The stronghold really exists, though it is not medieval: Stara Baśń Castle ("Old Tale Castle") is a private castle museum, under construction since 2000, conceived as a reconstruction of a fortified settlement founded by the legendary Bolek the Wrathful. You can walk along the galleries of a four-metre wall linking two towers, and from the top you can see the whole area.

History woven with legend

The founder drew on the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. The third of them, in 1287–1288, reached southern Poland and was stopped by Leszek the Black with Hungarian allies, with fighting also in the Nowy Sącz region. According to the legend the castle tells, it was here in 1287 that Bolek the Wrathful led the defenders against the army of Nogai, a descendant of Genghis Khan, and the Golden Horde commander Talabuga.

The creators themselves stress that history and legend are mixed in the reconstruction, so it is not a faithful copy of events from 800 years ago. A curiosity are the tunnels and caverns uncovered on the site by a flood in 2010; their reconstruction is still under way.

What to see

• Walls and towers – the galleries of the four-metre wall and two towers with views of the area.
• Interiors finished in stone, brick and wood, with old instruments and exhibits.
• The dragon Grynboss – hero of the castle legend, whose "awakening" with light and pyrotechnic effects closes the annual festival.
• Traces of the region's early inhabitants – a bronze axe dated to 1050–950 BC was found in nearby Kąclowa, and Roman coins from the 3rd–4th centuries near Grybów.

Events

The castle is home to the Stara Baśń Association, which every year holds open days combined with the international culture festival "Once Upon a Time in the Sącz Land"; in 2026 it took place on 26 July. Blacksmiths, potters and herbalists work in the outer bailey, there are knightly combat shows, an open-air play and expeditions for young "dragon trackers"; guests in historical costume get priority entry. The castle also runs educational programmes for schools and nurseries.

Tripto tips

The castle is at ul. Grottgera 15 in Grybów (tel. +48 694 499 488). It is privately owned: groups visit by prior arrangement, and individual visits are best agreed by phone or email. Animals (except assistance animals) are not allowed, and exhibits must not be touched. Most happens during the summer festival, but places inside the stronghold are limited then.