Castles

Bytów Castle

The Gothic Teutonic castle in Bytów was built between 1398 and 1402 as the seat of the Order's procurator. Today the fortress, laid out on a 52.5 × 72.5 m plan, lives a second life: the West Kashubian Museum operates in the former monastic house, while the Renaissance ducal house holds a hotel with a restaurant.

Towers ahead of their time

By 1399 three round towers stood at the corners: Młyńska, Różana and Polna. They are considered the first towers in Central Europe adapted for firearms and the forerunners of bastions. The fourth corner held the square Powder Tower — blown up by the Swedes in 1656, reconstructed in the 1930s, and destroyed by fire again in 1994.

From the Teutonic Knights to the Kashubians

In 1466 Casimir IV Jagiellon enfeoffed the castle to the Pomeranian duke Eric II, and in 1560–1570 the Gryfici family added the Renaissance ducal house with its ornate gatehouse gable. In 1623 the Widows' House appeared along the north-eastern curtain. In 1945 the NKVD ran a prison and transit camp within the walls. Reconstruction proceeded in stages, 1957–1962 and 1969–1990.

Visiting

The castle stands a few minutes from Bytów's town centre — a natural stop on the road to Hel. The West Kashubian Museum shows exhibitions on the history and culture of the West Kashubians, and its building, the monastic house, once served as a granary — the storehouses occupied its two top floors. Access to the ducal house is limited, as it now operates as a hotel, so focus on the museum and a walk around the walls.