Malbork - Polish name, in German it sounds like Marienburg - was founded in 1276 as a castle of the Teutonic Order of Knights. The castle, an area of ​​about 20 hectares, is the largest Gothic castle in Europe. Today it not only represents an interest for history lovers and castle architecture, but also simply amazes with its beauty even the most insensitive to the beauty of tourists.

In 1997 Malbork Castle was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is a favorite place for tourists from all over Europe.

From the history of the castle

The very first building of the castle was an uncomplicated computory with a brick wall around it . And after in 1308 g . The residence of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Marienbu g began to rebuild, complete and decorate . By 15 в . the castle became a powerful fortified point of the crusaders and, perhaps, an exemplary fortification structure of that time: four lines of defense, deep defensive ditches, inner wells, cellars and cellars for the storage of products and valuables contributed to the provision of the life of a large garrison .

For all that, the inhabitants of the castle conducted a rather ascetic, monastic way of life. Young ladies were ordered to come here, although the knights sometimes bypassed the prohibitions.

Built and converted by the crusaders architectural complex of the castle during the Polish possession began to decline. The maintenance in the proper condition of such a huge defensive structure was associated with huge expenses, which constantly lacked money. This gave rise to problems whose solution was found only at the present time.

Once the castle needed a cook, and for permission to take a woman to work, according to established rules, appealed to the Pope himself to Rome. The Pontiff gave good with the condition that it would be a woman no younger than 60 years. Thinking, the knights invited three girls to the castle, who turned 20.

Interiors and architecture

By appointment, the castle's premises were divided into three categories: the High Castle (the home of knights-monks), the Middle Castle (offices for functionaries and reception rooms for guests) and the Low Castle (stables, bakeries, workshops and other support services).In the same century, after the end of the thirteen-year war of the Crusaders with Poland, the castle was turned into one of the residences of Polish kings .The end of 19 in .It was marked for Malbork by reconstruction with the purpose of giving it a medieval appearance (it is interesting that money was collected with the help of target lotteries), and the middle of the 20th century was almost complete destruction during the Second World War .

Incidentally, on May 1, 1933, the Nazi flag was raised over Malbork Castle, and then solemn events were often held for high-ranking Nazis.

After the war, the castle was rebuilt, and now it stands in all its glory on the bank of the Nogat River, reflected in it with all its towers, walls and galleries, making an indelible impression on tourists. Many people have the question: if even today the castle is so impressive with its size and harsh beauty, then what impression did it make on people in the Middle Ages?

Museum in Malbork

Since 1960, the museum has been working on the castle's premises, here you can see several expositions, the most extensive of which tells about the history of the castle. Visitors are also attracted by a collection of articles made of amber and a collection of weapons and armor from different historical periods. Often in the halls of the castle there are concerts and theatrical performances, as well as various solemn events, the surrounding situation has the best possible.

An unforgettable impression is made by the silhouettes of the castle at night, when they are highlighted by searchlights during knight tournaments and performances of historical dramatizations accompanied by sound effects. After such events, night excursions are organized around the castle for groups accompanied by a guide.
Malbork Castle

Opening hours and visiting

In the usual mode, the castle can be accessed all year round: it is open for visits from 9:00 to 17:00 from May 1 to September 30 and from 9:00 to 15:00 from October 1 to April 30.

At the ticket offices of the castle you can buy several types of guidebooks on it in Russian, and a sightseeing tour in English with a guide lasts about 4 hours. There is another aspect that attracts visitors to the castle: its towers and walls, courtyard and interiors are extremely photogenic. With good lighting, the photos are gorgeous even for not very experienced photographers (you need to buy permission for shooting inside the castle walls).

For tourists on the territory of the castle there is a good restaurant, in which there may be a lot of people, and several shops where souvenirs are sold, the most interesting of them is a bag with samples of medieval money.

How to get

Malbork is just 80 km from the border with the Kaliningrad region, so getting here from Kaliningrad with a bus tour is easy. On route 75 to the castle can be reached from Gdansk, the distance is about 50 km.

It's a great idea to come to Malbork from Gdansk by train: the views that open at the entrance to the castle, crossing the bridge across the river, really deserve the "must see" definition.

The railway station and the bus station are to the east of the city center, 1 km from the castle. Malbork is on the busy Gdansk-Warsaw railway line, so a lot of trains stop here during the day. Gdansk can be reached in 45 minutes, until Warsaw - on the express train for 3, 5 hours. Trains from Elblag (20 minutes) and Kwidzyna (45 minutes), Grudziądz (1, 5 hours) and Olsztyn (1, 5 hours) also stop. There is one train to Kaliningrad (4, 5 hours).

Address: Malbork, Staroscinska, 1.