Castles

Melsztyn Castle

Above a bend of the Dunajec, south of Tarnów near Zakliczyn, rise the ruins of Melsztyn Castle, the former seat of the powerful Melsztyński family of the Leliwa coat of arms. After more than 250 years in ruins, the reconstructed Gothic tower once again dominates the valley, with a viewing platform at its top. Admission is free.

The Leliwitas and the Hussites

Construction of the stone castle was begun in 1347 by Spycimir, castellan of Kraków of the Leliwa arms, and in 1362 Jan Bodzanta, Bishop of Kraków, erected the castle chapel of the Holy Spirit. Until the early 16th century the stronghold was the residence of the Melsztyńskis; Spytko II, grandson of Spycimir, became castellan of Kraków at 18 and governor of Podolia, and was killed in 1399 fighting the Tatars on the Vorskla. In the 15th century the castle was a centre of the Hussite movement, in opposition to the king. At the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries a great Gothic donjon was built, of which two walls about 25 m high survive.

From the Renaissance to vineyards

In 1511 Jan Melsztyński sold the castle to Mikołaj Jordan, and around 1546 Spytek Wawrzyniec Jordan rebuilt the Gothic stronghold in the Renaissance style — the wall with loopholes in the central part dates from that period. In the 18th century voivode Maciej Lanckoroński laid out a vineyard on the slopes, producing a dozen or so barrels of wine in good years — one of the last vineyards in the area. In 1770 the stronghold was seized by the Bar Confederates and then burned by Russian troops; in the 19th century the ruins were dismantled for building material. Until 2008 the ruins were managed by the State Forests, then passed to the Zakliczyn commune and revitalisation began.

Practical information

A blue trail leads up the hill, and the site is free to visit in season. The tower interior currently displays photographs documenting the renovation, with exhibits to follow. On the southern slope below the castle stretches the Talaska Vineyard, a member of the Lesser Poland Wine Trail, which holds open days in summer.