Giżycko Castle

By the canal linking lakes Niegocin and Kisajno stands a small brick house with Renaissance gables – all that remains of the Teutonic Knights' castle in Giżycko. Over six centuries it served as the seat of the Order's procurators, a ducal hunting lodge, quarters for the commanders of the nearby Boyen Fortress and a ruin; today it is part of the St. Bruno Hotel. Right next to it is a 19th-century swing bridge that is still opened by hand by a single operator.

History: from procurator to hotel

The Teutonic Order had a wooden stronghold in Giżycko by the first half of the 14th century – a record from 1340 mentions a procurator residing here, who acted as judge, commander and administrator of northern Galindia. It is not known, though, whether it stood on the present site or on the nearby Piękna Góra hill. In 1361 the stronghold was destroyed by Lithuanians led by Grand Duke Kęstutis. The brick castle was probably built around 1377–1380; it was small and of modest defensive value.

During the Thirteen Years' War between Poland and the Teutonic Order, in 1455, local people burned the castle, and in 1520 its Teutonic garrison set it on fire and abandoned it. In 1560 it was rebuilt to plans by Christoph Römer of Königsberg; the surviving Renaissance gable probably dates from this time. In 1614 the building became a ducal hunting lodge, and in 1852 the army bought it and turned it into quarters for the commanders of Boyen Fortress. According to the Association of Polish Gothic Castle Municipalities, between the wars Paul von Hindenburg handed the building, which had been his private residence, over to a regional museum.

Decline and rebuilding

After 1945 the castle stood empty, and in 1979 it was listed as a historic monument. In 2007 one of its walls was damaged. In 2009–2011 it was rebuilt with EU funding and converted into a hotel. The stylised brick buildings next to it are modern, completed in 2011.

What to look for

• The castle house – a three-storey building measuring 14.5 × 22 m survives, its corners braced by buttresses.
• Late-Renaissance gables from the 16th century – the castle's most distinctive feature.
• Cellars – three survive beneath the building, two of them barrel-vaulted.
• The swing bridge of 1898 – a single operator turns the roughly 100-tonne span through 90°, and the whole operation takes about five minutes. In 1969–1970 the bridge was given an electric drive, but opening it too fast damaged the structure; manual operation was restored in 1993.

Tripto tip

The castle is now a hotel, so the interiors are mainly for guests. The best views of the building and its Renaissance gables are from Moniuszki Street and the banks of the Łuczański Canal. In summer, wait by the bridge for an opening – watching the span swing round draws crowds. Combine the walk with Boyen Fortress on the other side of the canal; the castle is about 500 m from the centre of Giżycko.