Świny Castle

Świny near Bolków is one of the oldest strongholds in Lower Silesia and the oldest privately owned castle in present-day Poland. The chronicler Cosmas first mentions it under the year 1108, and for five centuries it was the seat of the Świnka (von Schweinichen) family, famous for living long and holding their drink. Today it is a partly secured ruin with a massive tower, from which you can see Bolków Castle.

History: from castellany seat to ruin

A fortified settlement first stood on the porphyry hill, listed as the seat of a castellany in a bull of Pope Adrian IV from 1155. In the 1270s Duke Bolko I the Strict transferred that status to the newer Bolków, and Świny passed to knights. From the 14th to the early 18th century it belonged to the Świnka family (von Schweinichen). In the mid-14th century they built a four-storey residential and defensive tower measuring 12 × 18 m, with walls 2.5 m thick.

In the mid-15th century Gunzel von Schweinichen added a residential building and new walls, and in 1614–1660 Johann Sigismund von Schweinichen turned the stronghold into a Renaissance residence with a palace, bastions and a drawbridge. Decline followed in the 18th century: in 1762 Russian troops plundered the castle during the Seven Years' War, and in 1769 it was sold at auction. Storms in 1840, 1848 and 1868 tore off the roof and brought down the top of the tower, and a fire in 1876 gutted the interiors. During the Second World War the Wehrmacht used it as a store for aircraft parts.

What to see

The highlight is the Gothic residential tower with its original entrance portal. In recent years the owners have been renovating it, and above the castle entrance you can spot a cartouche with the Schweinichen arms. Around the tower stand the walls of the former palace, remains of fortifications built for firearms and traces of a triangular earth bastion in the outer bailey. From the courtyard the view takes in the surrounding hills and Bolków Castle, about 2 km away as the crow flies.

Did you know?

In 1624 the mystic Jakob Böhme stayed at the castle and wrote his "Epistle to the Longing and Hungry Soul" here. Johann Sigismund ran a theosophical circle at Świny and built up a library of mystical books. According to family legend, the Świnkas descend from the squire Biwoj, who killed with his bare hands a wild boar attacking the Czech princess Libuše. Another tale tells of Konrad Świnka, who kept feasting outdoors in a thunderstorm until lightning struck his goblet. These are legends, but they capture the family's reputation.

Tripto tip

The castle has been privately owned since 1991, and the current owner is gradually securing it and opening it to visitors. In front of the gate there is a ticket office with souvenirs, toilets and a food stand, with parking nearby. Allow about an hour for a visit. As work on the tower continues, check current opening hours and prices before you go. Świny pairs well with Bolków Castle: you can see both in one afternoon.