Teutonic Castle in Szczytno

The ruins of the Teutonic castle in Szczytno lie between Lake Długie and Lake Domowe Małe, just behind the town hall. The fortress from the second half of the 14th century was the seat of an Order official, later a hunting residence of the Prussian dukes, and Henryk Sienkiewicz set one of the darkest scenes of "The Knights of the Cross" here. Since the revitalisation that began in 2018, the walls once again show the castle's layout clearly.

History: from watchtower to preserved ruin

Around 1350 the Elbląg commander Ortulf von Trier founded a timber-and-earth watchtower here, named Ortulfsburg after him – hence the town's German name, Ortelsburg. A settlement of forest beekeepers grew up beside it and became Szczytno. Less than twenty years later the watchtower was burned by the Lithuanians of Duke Kęstutis; RMF FM gives the year as 1370. In its place the Teutonic Knights built a brick-and-stone castle on a roughly square plan, with a well in the courtyard, an outer bailey, walls and a moat.

The castle was the seat of a procurator, an official who ran one of the districts of the Order's state. After the Order was secularised in 1525 it lost its role as a border fortress, and at the end of the 16th century it was converted into a hunting residence for the Prussian dukes. In the 17th century it stood empty. Between 1766 and 1792 the north-east wing and the upper storeys of the other wings were pulled down; the tower and walls with their bastions had already gone.

Museum, town hall and revitalisation

In the 20th century the ruins housed a regional museum, and before the Second World War the town hall was built on the former outer bailey. After the collections moved to the town hall, the remains decayed again. In 1990–1992 the walls were secured as a permanent ruin. The town obtained PLN 7.9 million in EU funds; the revitalisation started in 2018 and was completed in 2021. Today the castle rooms host concerts, workshops and exhibition openings, and the Masurian Fair is held in the town hall courtyard and the castle (its 27th edition took place in 2026).

Curiosities: Danusia and Jurand

In "The Knights of the Cross" it is in Szczytno's dungeons that Danusia, the kidnapped daughter of Jurand of Spychów, is held. Here too Jurand himself is mutilated on the orders of commander Siegfried de Löwe: his tongue and hand are cut off and he is blinded. The novel's description of the castle differs in many details from historical fact. The Masurian Museum displays illustrations from the 1900 edition of the novel and a castle model from 1931.

Tripto tips

• The ruins stand on ul. Sienkiewicza next to the town hall, so you can see both on one walk.
• The Masurian Museum offers guided tours of the Teutonic castle (PLN 90 per group, in Polish) and combined museum-and-castle tours (PLN 120) – as of October 2026.
• Allow 20–30 minutes for the ruins from outside, or about an hour and a half together with the museum in the town hall.
• The site is liveliest in summer during outdoor events; out of season, check with the museum whether the interiors are open.