The Baltic Sea, a beach near Krynica Morska, Poland

#morze #baltyk #morzebaltyckie #plaza #woda #widok #krajobraz #baltic #balticsea #sea #piasek #sand #beach #landscape #view #water

The Market Gate, Elbląg, Poland

Built in the 14th century as one of nine gates in the city’s now-defunct fortifications, the building is one of the most valuable and recognizable buildings in Elbląg. The 26-meter-high Market Gate can be admired from the outside, and in the summer season (from May to September) you can also go inside. It is definitely worth doing so, as a viewing terrace was built in its upper part, from which there is a beautiful panorama of the Old Town.

#elblag #miasto #city #town #staremiasto #oldtown #ulica #street #wieza #tower #brama #gate #citygate #towngate #architektura #architecture #widok #view #krajobraz #landscape

St. Nicholas Cathedral, Elbląg, Poland

It is one of the oldest religious buildings in Elbląg and one of the highest temples in Poland. The tower itself is 97 m high, and the viewing terrace is located at about 70 m. To get to the terrace, you have to climb 365 stairs. However the beautiful views at the top, along with the panorama of Elbląg and the surrounding area, compensate for all the effort! :)

#elblag #miasto #city #town #plac #townsquare #marketsquare #ulica #street #church #kosciol #wieza #tower #architektura #architecture #widok #view #krajobraz #landscape #dzwonnica #belltower

Church Path, Elbląg, Poland

It is a narrow passage between reconstructed tenement houses and connects two streets of the Old Town – Holy Spirit Street and Bridge Street. Its name comes from the two churches it once connected – Dominican and St. Nicholas. In the Middle Ages, it was used by the faithful and monks to move faster from one church to another.

The entire passage of the Elbląg Church Path is bulging with 10 Gothic, strutted and two-level arches. Its route once led from the Old Town to the gate of the former Dominican Church (today Galeria El). It was slightly longer then. The part leading to the monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary was unfortunately destroyed. The fragment of the Church Path that survived is now one of the original and few preserved medieval elements in the Elbląg Old Town. The rest was devastated during World War II.

#elblag #staremiasto #oldtown #ulica #street #sciezka #path #churchpath #sciezkakoscielna #architektura #architecture #widok #view #landscape

Castle of the Teutonic Order, Malbork, Poland

The best guarded part of the Malbork stronghold was the High Castle. Surrounded by two lines of walls and a moat, it was connected to the Middle Castle by a drawbridge. The High Castle was closed during the day. It was home to about 50 Teutonic brothers. The castle’s central point was a courtyard surrounded by cloisters with a well in the middle. The ground floor of the castle contained a kitchen, utility rooms and a cell for the most important prisoners. The first floor housed the monks’ rooms, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the chapter house and the treasury. The convent chamber was located even higher. Grain supplies were hidden in the attics, which were supposed to last two years of a potential siege. A 66-meter watchtower, which was also the church’s bell tower, towered over everything.

#malbork #zamek #castle #polska #poland #historia #history #architecture #architektura #gothicarchitecture #gothic #widok #landscape #krajobraz #krzyzacy #zakon #teutonicorder #teutonicknights #knights #rycerze #walls #wall #mury #mur #defensivetower #defensivewall #wieza #tower #towers

Castle of the Teutonic Order, Malbork, Poland

In addition to the Great Refectory, the Middle Castle also contained the Grand Master’s Palace, the Grand Commander’s chambers, the Armoury, rooms for visitors and an infirmary.

#malbork #zamek #castle #polska #poland #historia #history #architecture #architektura #gothicarchitecture #gothic #widok #landscape #krajobraz #krzyzacy #zakon #teutonicorder #teutonicknights #knights #rycerze #walls #wall #mury #mur #defensivetower #defensivewall #defensivewalls #birdseyeview

Castle of the Teutonic Order, Malbork, Poland

The most representative place of the entire complex was the Great Refectory, a huge hall located in the western wing of the Middle Castle. It was in this hall that the Teutonic Knights organized feasts and banquets. The hall, measuring 30m x 15m, was the largest room of its kind in the whole of Central Europe. It could accommodate 400 people. Its magnificent, palm vault is still supported by three slender pillars to this day. The interior design of the room was complemented by windows with colorful stained glass and frescoes, headed by the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the Teutonic Order, located above the main entrance.

#malbork #zamek #castle #polska #poland #historia #history #architecture #architektura #gothicarchitecture #gothic #widok #landscape #krajobraz #krzyzacy #zakon #teutonicorder #teutonicknights #knights #rycerze #walls #wall #mury #mur #defensivetower #defensivewall #defensivewalls

Castle of the Teutonic Order, Malbork, Poland

In what areas is the castle in Malbork record-breaking?

1) The largest brick castle in the world - a fortress so fortified that it was never conquered militarily, the inhabitants could survive 3 years without any supplies, and the monastery part was accessed by 4 bridges thrown over the water.

2) The largest kitchen hood in the world - the most exquisite food of the Middle Ages came out of the kitchen, this was confirmed by important heads of Europe at that time, it was also tasted by King Casimir the Great.

3) The largest sculpture of medieval Europe - the Malbork Madonna is over 8 meters high, it was recreated by modern conservators, covered with a mosaic containing real gold. It can be seen on the castle walls of the chapel, from under the ticket office building. Interestingly, the glass cubes were brought from Venice, and the gold elements from Gdańsk.

4) The largest number of latrines in a stronghold in the Middle Ages - even cooks had their own toilet, and cabbage leaves were often used as toilet paper, which also had medicinal properties, e.g. anti-inflammatory.

5) The largest number of wells in a castle in the Middle Ages. Interestingly, the fortress also had access to running water.

6) The oldest underfloor heating in these lands - large stones in the basement were heated in fireplaces and acted as storage furnaces. The heat escaped into the rooms through special holes in the floors.

#malbork #zamek #castle #polska #poland #historia #history #architecture #architektura #gothicarchitecture #gothic #widok #landscape #krajobraz #krzyzacy #zakon #teutonicorder #teutonicknights #knights #rycerze #walls #wall #mury #mur #defensivetower #defensivewall #defensivewalls #tower #wieza

Castle of the Teutonic Order, Malbork, Poland

Malbork Castle is full of legends and mysteries. One of the most famous is the story of Maria of Brzozowa, who was supposedly bricked up alive in one of the castle’s chambers. According to another legend, there was supposed to be a place under the castle that conceals the treasures of the Teutonic Order. Of course, there is no confirmation that these stories are true, but they are what make Malbork an even more mysterious and intriguing place.

#malbork #zamek #castle #polska #poland #historia #history #architecture #architektura #gothicarchitecture #gothic #widok #landscape #krajobraz #krzyzacy #zakon #teutonicorder #teutonicknights #knights #rycerze #walls #wall #mury #mur #defensivetower #defensivewall #defensivewalls

Castle of the Teutonic Order, Malbork, Poland

The building has an impressive volume of 250 thousand cubic meters, 30 million bricks were used to complete the entire complex, of which 4.5 million are in the high castle. This makes it the largest brick structure in the world.

#malbork #zamek #castle #polska #poland #historia #history #architecture #architektura #gothicarchitecture #widok #landscape #krajobraz #krzyzacy #zakon #teutonicorder #teutonicknights #knights #rycerze #walls #wall #mury #mur #defensivetower #defensivewall #defensivewalls

Castle of the Teutonic Order, Malbork, Poland

The Teutonic Knights, along with the Knights of St. John and the Knights Templar, are one of the three largest orders to emerge from the crusades of the 11th and 12th centuries. The beginning of the Malbork Castle was built between 1275 and 1300. Initially, at the end of the 12th century, the seat of the Teutonic Order was located in Acre, then from 1209 in Montfort, and finally it was moved to Malbork in 1309.

From the beginning, the order wanted to conquer Pomerania and unite with Brandenburg, initially buying lands, and finally moving to open military operations against Poland.

The lost Battle of Grunwald began the decline of the Teutonic Order, crowned by defeat in the Thirteen Years’ War. From 1457 to 1772 Malbork Castle became one of the residences of Polish Kings.

From 1772, the castle was taken over by the Prussians and its regular devastation began. Gothic vaults and windows were demolished, cloisters were bricked up, new windows were forged, and the Palace of the Grand Masters was transformed into a cotton mill.

In 1816, a major reconstruction of the castle began to restore its historical value. Not everything was rebuilt in accordance with the original, replacing the original materials with more modern ones.

From 1933, the Nazi flag was hung on the Malbork Castle. This place was used for ceremonies.

In 1945, after the battles for the city with the Red Army, during which the castle was turned into a point of resistance, about 70% of the buildings of the High Castle, the Middle Castle, the Tower and the castle church were completely destroyed.

(continued in comment)

#malbork #zamek #castle #polska #poland #historia #history #architecture #architektura #gothicarchitecture #widok #landscape #krajobraz #krzyzacy #zakon #teutonicorder #teutonicknights #knights #rycerze

The Tannenberg Lion, Olsztynek, Poland

In January 1945, the Soviets destroyed most of Olsztynek’s town center. The town hall, rebuilt after WWI, survived. Next to it stands a stone lion...

In 1410, on the fields of Grunwald, Polish-Lithuanian troops defeated the Teutonic Knights. The Germans call this battle the Battle of Tannenberg. Over 500 years later, in August 1914, at the very beginning of WWI, in practically the same place, the Germans crushed the Russians. On the 10th anniversary of this second battle, they erected a monument here (Tannenberg Denkmal). Nearly two decades after the battle, in 1934, Paul von Hindenburg, the victor of Tannenberg and later President of the Reich, was buried there.

The monument was designed to resemble a stone circle like Stonehenge – eight 20-meter-high red brick towers were connected by walls. At its center was a crypt where the remains of 20 unknown soldiers were interred. When Marshal von Hindenburg died, their remains were moved to the side, and the victorious leader’s body was placed at the center. The site became known as the Hindenburg Mausoleum. About 300 meters from the mausoleum, stood a monument dedicated to fallen soldiers of the 147th Infantry Regiment named after Paul von Hindenburg. It depicted a lion standing on an eight-meter-high pedestal.

(continued in comment)

#olsztynek #ratusz #lew #pomnik #monument #polska #widok #krajobraz #miasto #town #city #townhall #cityhall #city #lion #statue #poland #landscape #history #historia #germans #niemcy #wwii #soviets #russians

Hohenstein Castle, Olsztynek, Poland

Erected between 1350 and 1366 near the border of the Ostróda commandry with Masovia, at the behest of Günther von Hohenstein.

In 1410, after the Battle of Grunwald, fought just a few kilometers from Olsztynek, the castle was seized by the townspeople and handed over to Władysław II Jagiełło. After being reclaimed by the Teutonic Knights, it was damaged during the Polish–Teutonic War of 1414 and the Thirteen Years’ War.

During the last war between the Order and Poland, in December 1519, Olsztynek was taken by the troops of Crown Hetman Mikołaj Firlej, who, after the garrison of 200 soldiers surrendered, began an occupation of the castle lasting over a year. After the secularization of the Teutonic Order in 1525, the town was incorporated into Ducal Prussia, and the castle became the administrative seat of the princely starost.

In 1651 and 1685, the castle buildings were damaged by fires. By the late 18th century, after renovations, they were converted into offices for the Prussian commissariat, and part of the medieval structures was demolished. Between 1847 and 1849, the remnants were remodeled in a Neo-Gothic style and converted into a gymnasium. After being damaged during World War II, the rebuilt fragments of the castle were incorporated into a school building.

#olsztynek #poland #polska #architektura #architecture #historia #history #zamek #castle #warmia #budynek #building #widok #krajnobraz #landscape #budowla #krzyzacy #zakonkrzyzacki #teutonicorder #teutonicknights

Ethnographic Park, Olsztynek, Poland

A Dutch-type windmill from the village of Dobrocin (Maldyty commune, Ostróda district), original object from the 2nd half of the 19th century.

#olsztynek #wiatrak #mlyn #windmill #poland #polska #skansen #park #openairmuseum #museum #ethnography #ethnographicpark #architektura #architecture #ethnographicmuseum #architekturadrewniana #woodenarchitecture #widok #krajobraz #landscape #budowla

Ethnographic Park, Olsztynek, Poland

Cottage from the village of Burdajny (Godkowo commune, Elbląg County, copy of a building from the first half of the 19th century)

#olsztynek #poland #polska #chalupa #hut #cottage #skansen #park #openairmuseum #museum #ethnography #ethnographicpark #architektura #architecture #ethnographicmuseum #architekturadrewniana #woodenarchitecture #widok #krajobraz #landscape #budowla

Ethnographic Park, Olsztynek, Poland

Bell Tower from the village of Mańki (Olsztynek commune, Olsztyn County), replica of the structure from 1685.

#olsztynek #poland #polska #dzwonnica #bell #tower #belltower #wieza #skansen #park #openairmuseum #museum #ethnography #ethnographicpark #architektura #architecture #ethnographicmuseum #architekturadrewniana #woodenarchitecture #widok #krajobraz #landscape #budowla

Branicki Palace, Choroszcz, Poland In the mid-18th century, through inheritance, Choroszcz was acquired by Jan Klemens Branicki, who built his summer residence on the northern edge of the town. From 1725 to 1730, the first brick palace was constructed on the island located at the southern end of the canal. In 1757, this palace was demolished due to significant damage caused by moisture, and in its place, a new building was erected in 1759, modeled after the original palace. The entire complex was designed with strict symmetry, composed in the French style of entre cour et jardin, with the palace preceded by a grand courtyard and an entrance courtyard, which was accessed through a gate flanked by a guardhouse and a service building. On both sides of the entrance courtyard, two wings were built between 1760 and 1764: a kitchen wing and a guest wing, as well as two guest pavilions near the palace. The palace was surrounded by a park with a cross-shaped canal along the main axis. During the November Uprising in 1831, the palace was damaged and remained unused for the following years. In 1840, the tenant and later owner of the estate became Christian August Moes, who built a textile factory in place of the manor. In the 1860s, Moes expanded the palace structure to the east and west, filling in the canal surrounding the island. The building served residential and office purposes. During World War I, in August 1916, the palace was blown up, partially demolished in the 1930s, and rebuilt between 1961 and 1973, designated as a museum. #choroszcz #podlasie #podlaskie #palac #palace #chateau #branicki #palacbranickich #muzeum #museum #architektura #architecture #budynek #building #widok #krajobraz #landscape #polska #poland

Church of St. Anne, Królowy Most, Poland

The church was built in the first half of the 20th century for the Orthodox parish established in 1900. Construction began in 1913 and was fully completed before 1939.

The temple was constructed in the shape of a Greek cross, using stone and facing brick, in an eclectic style. Inside, there is an iconostasis originating from a church in Grodno. The polychromes of the temple were created by Włodzimierz Wasilewicz in 1939.

#krolowymost #cerkiew #cerkiewprawoslawna #orthodox #orthodoxchurch #podlasie #podlaskie #kosciol #church #polska #poland #swiatynia #temple #chrzescijanstwo #christianity #wiara #religia #region #faith #view #widok #krajobraz #landscape #archotektura #architecture #architekturasakralna #sacralarchitecture

Branicki Palace (gate), Białystok, Poland (part 1 of 2)

The first mentions of the palace date back to the 16th century - the design of the Gothic-Renaissance residence was attributed to Hiob Bretfus, who had other palace and castle projects to his credit. The palace acquired its final late Baroque appearance thanks to three architects: Tylman van Gameren, Jan Zygmunt Deybel, and Jakub Fontana. Although the name of the palace does not suggest it, it was built not only as a castle with a moat but also at the commission of the Wiesiołowski family.

The heir of the Wiesiołowski family, Krzysztof, died without heirs and had previously bequeathed the estate to the Republic of Poland. After the war, the castle was awarded to Stefan Czarniecki for his merits (along with Białystok). He, in turn, passed it on to his daughter, Katarzyna Aleksandra, who married Jan Klemens Branicki. Jan Klemens’s father commissioned Tylman van Gameren to remodel the castle. Thus, the Wiesiołowski Castle became the Branicki Palace.

The last reconstruction was carried out between 1750 and 1771 by the aforementioned Jakub Fontana. It was during this time that the palace gained its Rococo interiors, which can still be admired today; Fontana also brought sculptures by Jan Chryzostom Redler to the palace. The decor, full of stucco and paintings, harmonized with the Branickis’ interests - artistic activities flourished in the residence, where poets and writers gathered, and a theater, orchestra, and ballet company operated. The estate was visited by kings and rulers as well as envoys. In the 18th century, the first military school began operating near the palace.

#bialystok #podlasie #podlaskie #polska #poland #palac #palace #chateau #widok #krajobraz #landscape #brama #gate #architektura #architecture #renaissance #renesans

Krzyżtopór Castle, Ujazd, Poland (part 4 of 5)

Krzysztof Ossoliński was extremely well-known for his passion for astrology, symbolism, and even magic, which was most likely taken into account in the design of the castle. One theory suggests that there were allegedly 4 main towers, 12 halls, 52 chambers, and 365 windows in the palace, referencing the 4 seasons, 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days in a year. This information is merely a conjecture and has never been confirmed.

However, another symbolism is certain – on the left side of the entrance gate, there is a heliograph that resembles the letter W. According to researchers, it refers to Aramaic ornamentation, symbolizing the eternal existence of the place. The entrance gate is adorned with bas-reliefs, which, according to one theory, are related to the name Krzyżtopór. One of them, located on the left side, is in the shape of a cross and is meant to symbolize Ossoliński's counter-reformist views, while the axe, in the shape of the second bas-relief on the right side, appears in his family coat of arms.

As for the name, there is also another theory regarding its origin, suggesting that it derives from the name Krzysztopór, which is a direct reference to the name and coat of arms of Ossoliński. Furthermore, for many years, a plaque hung above the entrance gate with the inscription: “Cross of defense, Cross of support, children of our Ax” - this inscription also referred to the coat of arms of the castle's founder.

#zamek #castle #ruiny #ruins #architektura #architecture #krzyztopor #ujazd #polska #poland #swietokrzyskie #widok #view #krajobraz #landscape #history #historia