Chęciny Castle

The two round towers on a limestone ridge above Chęciny are visible from the S7 expressway long before the exit. Chęciny Castle is a royal stronghold from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries that resisted capture for more than 250 years, guarded the treasury of the Archdiocese of Gniezno and held prisoners taken at Grunwald. Today it is a stabilised ruin with a viewing tower overlooking the ranges of the Holy Cross Mountains.

History: the fortress of Władysław the Short and Casimir the Great

The castle's origins are poorly documented, but it is known to have existed in 1306, when Władysław the Short granted it to Jan Muskata, Bishop of Kraków — only to take it back a year later on the pretext of a conspiracy. Excavations in 2013 uncovered the foundations of a previously unknown tower; according to archaeologist Waldemar Gliński it is the oldest part of the castle, built on the initiative of Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. Władysław made Chęciny a centre of his power: assemblies of nobles were held here in 1310, 1318, 1331 and 1333, and in 1331 the knights set off from here for the Battle of Płowce. In 1318 the treasury of the Archdiocese of Gniezno was hidden in the inaccessible fortress to keep it safe from the Teutonic Knights.

Casimir the Great enlarged the castle and raised the towers. His second wife Adelaide of Hesse lived here, and later Elizabeth of Poland, Sophia of Halshany with her son Władysław of Varna, and Bona Sforza, among others. The castle also served as a state prison: one of its inmates was Michael Küchmeister, captured after Grunwald and later Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.

Decline and rescue

In the 16th century the stronghold began to decline — in 1588 the Sejm ordered the land records to be moved to the church at the foot of the hill. In 1607, during the Zebrzydowski Rebellion, the castle was burned, and in 1655–1657 it was destroyed by the Swedes and the troops of Rákóczi. After another Swedish occupation in 1707 the last residents left, and the walls became a free source of stone for nearby villages. The first conservation work took place in 1877, Henryk Sienkiewicz appealed for the ruins to be protected, and in 2013–2015 the castle was revitalised for more than PLN 8.1 million.

What to see

• The upper castle between two round towers, with a wall 2 m thick, and the lower castle (outer bailey) with a square 15th-century bastion.
• Walls 9 m high with loopholes — built mainly of local grey limestone with inserts of sandstone and brick.
• The viewing tower with a panorama of the Chęciny valley and the Holy Cross Mountains.
• The opening of a well cut about 100 m deep into the rock — a 1569 survey notes it was hewn "in a mountain of hard marble, at no small cost".

Did you know?

In the late 1960s a replica of the fortress of Kamianets-Podilskyi was built east of the ruins for the battle scenes of "Colonel Wolodyjowski". Earlier, Kazimierz Kutz shot "Silence" here with Zbigniew Cybulski. Andrzej Pilipiuk set one of the "Pan Samochodzik" adventure novels in the castle.

Tripto tips

About an hour is enough for a visit including the tower. The climb from the market square is short but steep, so wear comfortable shoes; in winter and after rain the path can be slippery. Check current opening hours and ticket prices on the castle's website before you go. The yellow Juliusz Braun trail from Wierna Rzeka passes the castle, and nearby you can visit Raj Cave and the open-air museum in Tokarnia.