Krzyztopór Castle

Ujazd, Poland

It is unknown when the construction of Krzyżtopór impressive fortress began. The first documented proof of the construction of the castle comes from 1627, when it was uncompleted. It was probably finished it in 1644, having spent the enormous sum of 30 million Polish zlotys on the work. The castle was inherited by Ossoliński's son Krzysztof Baldwin Ossoliński, who died in 1649 in the Battle of Zborów. After his death, the formidable complex was purchased by the family of the Denhoffs, then by the Kalinowskis.

In 1655, during the Swedish invasion of Poland, the castle was captured by the Swedes, who occupied it until 1657, pillaging the entire complex. The damage to the structure was so extensive that after the Swedes’ withdrawal it was not rebuilt, as it was deemed too costly. Several noble families (the Morsztyns, the Wiśniowieckis and the Pacs) lived in the best preserved, western wing, but the castle otherwise remained in ruins.

In 1770, during the Bar Confederation, Krzyżtopór, defended by the Confederate units, was seized by the Russians, who completed the building's ruin. Reportedly, last known inhabitant of the complex, Stanisław Sołtyk, lived there in the years 1782–87, after which time Krzyżtopór has been abandoned.

During the Second World War the complex was again ransacked. A partial remodeling took place in 1971, and in 1980 the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to rebuild it for use as a rest area for officers. This work was halted in 1981, when martial law was imposed in Poland.

Today the castle, without convenient proximity to main roads and rail connections, is visited by relatively few tourists. However, as walls, bastions and moat are relatively well-preserved, its magnitude is still very impressive. Though it is regarded as a permanent ruin, since around 90 percent of the walls have been preserved, reconstruction has been planned several times. Currently, efforts have been underway to roof the entire complex; however, this ambitious project lacks sufficient funding.

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Address

D758, Ujazd, Poland
See all sites in Ujazd

Details

Founded: 1627
Category: Castles and fortifications in Poland

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ma Szilvi (2 years ago)
Great little caste to walk around and have some souvenirs and nice coffee in the cafeteria. 13 zloty is the normal ticket for adults. Worth to be outside and have walk around the castle, nice place nothing extremely special worth to stop.
Michal Kápar (2 years ago)
Great castle ruins with lots of live invested. We tried all routes with my 5y old son. Unfortunately gardens route were closed but we enjoyed a lot anyway.
Arkadiusz Kozieł (2 years ago)
Great place for families and all others who like to visit old castles. It is well preserved and from year to year more parts are restored. There is also a lot of space for picnic.
DIMOGENTE (2 years ago)
This is incredible ruins of castle, once being majestic. You can feel the power being here, taking look in every crevice and hall, even basement. When visiting in windy weather make sure to wear a jacket because wind rushes through the open aisles and halls making harsh streams of cold air. They have small restaurant inside, where someone can have warm coffe with something sweet
Anna (3 years ago)
We touch the traces of history from the ruins of the castle. The Polish nobles had a great dream more than 300 years ago. He built his castle in time. Including four buildings in the year. 12 rooms about 12 months , 365 windows because there are 365 days in a year. It's wonderful!
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