Szymbark Castle

On the shore of Lake Szymbark, a few kilometres from Iława, stands one of the largest castle ruins in northern Poland. From a distance the brick quadrangle of 75 × 92 m, with ten towers and a clock tower, looks almost intact – only up close do you see that there are no roofs or floors behind the walls. Over five centuries the castle evolved from a fortress of canons into a count's palace, and in 1995 it appeared in a film starring John Malkovich.

History: from cathedral chapter to the Finckensteins

Construction probably began in the 1370s on the initiative of Henry of Skarlin, provost of the Pomesanian cathedral chapter, on the mound of an earlier stronghold of the Old Prussians. An inscription of glazed tiles above the gate stated that the gate was built in 1386, in the time of Brother Henry. Some historians think work began earlier and the inscription marks the end of the first phase. In 1421 the bishops of Pomesania and Chełmno stayed here, overseeing a scriptorium that prepared documents for a planned lawsuit between Poland and the Teutonic Order.

During the Thirteen Years' War the castle changed hands several times and burned. In 1520 a Polish force under Stanisław Kostka arrived; the provost opened the gates and there was no fighting. After the Order was secularised the castle passed into secular hands. The von Polenz family remodelled it in the Renaissance style in 1570–1590, replacing the drawbridge with a masonry bridge. In March 1699 it was bought by Ernst Finck von Finckenstein, and his family lived here until 21 January 1945. In the 19th century the Finckensteins gave it a Gothic Revival look and added two libraries, a theatre room and a landscape park.

Fire and ruin

After the war the castle was burned by the Red Army; sources give 1945 or 1946. The circuit of walls with its towers, gate and bridge survived, while the residential wings are only fragments. In 1988 the "Widzieć Muzyką" foundation planned a centre for blind children here, but the project collapsed. The castle has been privately owned since 1997; in 2018 it was bought at a bailiff's auction by a company that announced plans to rebuild it as a hotel.

Did you know?

• "The Ogre" (Der Unhold): in 1995 Volker Schlöndorff filmed scenes here of Soviet troops storming a fortress. The film left behind wooden window frames in the east wall and the restored coat of arms above the gate.
• In the 24-metre clock tower the first floor was a chapel, while the base held a dungeon about 10 m deep.
• Polish novelist Zbigniew Nienacki featured the castle in one of his popular "Pan Samochodzik" adventure books.

Tripto tip

The ruin is closed to visitors – you see it from outside by walking around the walls. The best view of the gate with its arcaded bridge and the clock tower is from the east, and of the towers from the lake side. The castle is at the western end of Szymbark village, off road 521 from Iława towards Prabuty and Susz. You can also come by train to Ząbrowo station. Allow 30–60 minutes; the ground around the walls can be muddy after rain. On a hill by the road to Ząbrowo lies the overgrown, hard-to-reach Finckenstein family cemetery.