Plock Castle

Płock, Poland

The Castle of the Masovian Dukes in Płock is a Gothic castle built under the reign of Casimir III the Great, becoming a stronghold of the Dukes of Masovia until the fifteenth century. The castle is located on a steep Vistulan hillside, most likely since the eleventh century, a wooden fortress - defended by walls and dikes, where in the middle there was a small stone built stronghold. On the turning point of the eleventh and twelfth century, when one of the largest Masovian strongholds where already located on the hillside - a chapel and wall-defended living quarters were built in 1194.

At the end of the thirteenth century, the raising of the castle had begun, when the stronghold was fortified, and took on its current form under the reign of Casimir III the Great. The expansion of the castle was done on the hillside of the former stronghold, which was reconstructed with bricks and expanded, the stronghold was also raised with two towers. The castle was built in square-shaped complex. In the south-west of the complex, the Szlachecka Tower was raised - with a squared base and lower half; and an octagonal upper half. In the northern part of the castle, by a Romanesque building, there is a clock tower. The castle's courtyard is closed off by the north-western, eastern and southern wing. The castle is fortificated by a double encirclement of defensive walls - securing the stronghold and Płock, being just outside the castle's walls.

The castle was a residence of the Masovian Dukes up until the fifteenth century. Due to a partial removal of the hillside, in 1532, the castle suffered damage, which was rebuilt. In 1538, the Masovian dukes had resided in the newly built palace, outside the castle walls, allowing the castle complex to be given to the Benedictines. During the times of the wars against the Swedes, the castle was severely damaged, first in 1657, and then in 1705. After the castle's reconstruction, the castle complex became a Baroque architectural style Benedictine Abbey, which existed until 1781. When after the Partitions of Poland, Prussia took over the castle, the authorities ordered some of the defensive walls to be deconstructed. From 1865, the castle hosted spiritual seminars.

After World War II, the castle was renovated, and since 1973, the castle houses a museum.

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Address

Tumska 2, Płock, Poland
See all sites in Płock

Details

Founded: 1351
Category: Castles and fortifications in Poland

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Alex woj (6 months ago)
That's it, take a photo and that's it. The Vatican occupier resides in the castle, he even evicted the collections of the National Museum. The so-called diocesan museum operates from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m., closed on Sundays, interruptions in operation at the discretion of the manager, e.g. closing for 16 days, because yes... It's a waste of time, it's much better to visit the Art Nouveau and Art Deco museum and take a walk around beautiful Płock.
Tomasz Chmielinski (7 months ago)
On a high slope above the Vistula River, visible from afar, there is a large castle of the Piast dynasty of Mazovia. Together with the basilica built next to it, it is one of the few such old monuments preserved in Poland. A must see.
Ka eM (8 months ago)
I just walked around. I couldn't go inside because the museum is open until 2 p.m. Really?! All in all, maybe that's a good thing. As far as I know, this is not a historical museum, but a diocesan museum. I don't care about such sightseeing. The building itself looks more like a church than a castle. But whoever likes it.
Michał Dzierżanowski (10 months ago)
Zamek jedynie okrążyliśmy z zewnątrz. Nie było to celem naszej wycieczki. Jednak obiekt warto zobaczyć, pomimo iż zewnątrz wygląda bardziej na kościół niż na zamek. Bliżej przypomina połączenie pałacu z kościołem.
waldi0055 (2 years ago)
A gigantic disappointment. I visited the so-called The Castle of the Dukes of Mazovia and its museum. I visited hoping to deepen my knowledge of these princes and their country. Which, only in the 16th century, became part of the Polish state. Unfortunately, I did not find anything on this subject in the museum. At least it is strange that the city, which for several hundred years was the capital of this country, tries so hard to forget about its history. When the views of the Vistula River are not nice, I would consider the time spent in Płock a waste.
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