Bezławki Castle

On a hill above the Dajna valley, a few kilometres from Święta Lipka, stands a small brick Teutonic castle that has served as a church for more than four hundred years. Scholars regard it as the best-preserved example of the Order's most modest strongholds – seats of officials who ran the smallest territories. Add a legend about the Holy Grail and a cemetery in the former courtyard, and Bezławki becomes an interesting stop on a tour of Warmia and Masuria.

History: from watchtower to church

The village of Bezławki was founded in 1371 by Ulrich Fricke, Commander of Balga, and once the forest had been cleared and the ground levelled, work on the castle began after 1377. The stronghold may have housed a minor official subordinate to the Teutonic administrator in Kętrzyn, or a steward with economic duties such as collecting tributes. It also supported the Order's campaigns against the Lithuanians and secured newly colonised land.

The castle first appears in the records in 1402, when Grand Commander Wilhelm von Helfenstein stopped here on his way back from a campaign against Vilnius. The Lithuanian prince Švitrigaila, youngest brother of King Władysław Jagiełło, took part in that expedition and lived in Bezławki until 1404. After the Polish-Teutonic wars of the 15th century the castle lost its military importance.

In 1583 or 1584 (sources give both dates) it was converted into a Protestant church, and a cemetery was laid out in the former courtyard. In 1726–1730 a timber-framed bell tower was added on the west side, and in 1884 the whole building was rendered. After the Second World War the church passed to Catholics – today it is a filial church of the parish in Wilkowo.

What to see

• The main house, measuring 11.8 × 25.6 m, originally five storeys high, built of brick in Flemish bond on a stone base. The facades are decorated with blind arches: round-headed on the lower level, pointed higher up.
• Stepped gables on the east and west, filled with blind panels and topped with pinnacles.
• The cemetery gate with a quotation from the First Epistle to the Thessalonians in sgraffito – after conservation work the inscription is legible again.
• The Protestant cemetery with crosses and gravestones in the former courtyard, looked after by volunteers from the Blusztyn association.

Did you know?

According to legend, the Holy Grail was brought to the castle during Švitrigaila's stay and is hidden or walled up in the Gothic part of the building. The story draws both tourists and treasure hunters. The small windows could double as loopholes when needed, and the large share of storage space suggests that the castle supplied Teutonic military expeditions.

Tripto tips

The church and castle grounds are cared for by the Society of Friends of Reszel and Surroundings – the first church in the Archdiocese of Warmia to be entrusted to volunteers. The society holds concerts, talks and exhibitions here, and the interior is usually opened on such occasions, so ask about dates before you travel. You can see the castle, the gate and the cemetery from outside in 30–45 minutes. The ground is sloping and uneven, which makes it hard going with a pushchair. Bezławki lies in the Reszel municipality close to the shrine of Święta Lipka, so both are easy to visit in one day together with Reszel Castle.