The UNESCO-protected brick beast that is Malbork Castle came to prominence in 1309 when the Teutonic Knights moved into an already established albeit far smaller fort and turned it into their military and political headquarters. The largest brick castle in the world, which at its height covered a total of 21 hectares, was the centrepiece in what was once a ring of 120 castles surrounding the Teutonic Knights' territory.

The Poles failed to follow up their historic victory at Grunwald, but nonetheless the writing was on the wall for the knights. Mounting debts to pay for the upkeep of a largely mercenary army had spiralled out of control, and ultimately it was these unpaid knights who seized the fortress in a mutinous mood as payment for services rendered, before selling it on to the King of Poland in 1457. Their former leader, the disgraced Grand Master, was jeered out of town on a peasant cart as he made his final journey from his former stronghold.

For the next three hundred years Malbork served as a Royal Residence, and became a stopover point for monarchs making the journey between Gdansk and Warsaw. This ended in 1772 when Poland was partitioned and Malbork fell under Prussian control. The castle was turned into a military barracks and a cotton workshop added to the Grand Masters Palace. For the next three decades old Malbork took a hammering, with cloisters and windows bricked up, gateways enlarged and outhouses dismantled. That the castle survived further attempts at ‘modernization’ was thanks only to a protracted campaign by the citizens of Berlin. Spurred by this public outcry the Prussian state embarked on something of a U-turn, and a huge programme of restoration was undertaken. The results were impressive, and by the early 20th century much of the castle had regained its original look.

But the 20th century wasn’t kind to Malbork. On May 1, 1933 the swastika was raised over the castle, and for the next twelve years it was to become a favourite haunt of high-ranking Nazis. Plans were drafted to build an amphitheatre in the castle grounds, and it was in the Great Refectory that Nazi Gauleiter Albert Forster made a landmark speech in 1939 announcing that the territories on the left bank of the Wisla were to be incorporated into the Reich. Malbork’s grandeur wasn’t lost on the Nazis, and for the next few years its imposing courtyards and halls were used for swearing in ceremonies by the Hitler Youth and League of German Girls. With the tide of war turning steps were taken to protect Malbork, and in 1944 all stained glass was painstakingly removed. Even still, Malbork and its castle were smashed as the Marinenburg Task Force and 2nd Russian Strike Force faced off in 1945. Over half the castle was destroyed, and black and white pictures from the day show the castle as little more than a desolate set of ruins. With no hope in sight the retreating Nazis dynamited the bridges spanning the Nogat, and the Siege of Malbork was lifted. 

This all left Malbork in bad shape, with the brunt of the damage affecting the east side. Plundered by looters and abandoned by the state – who understandably had the unenvious task of rebuilding what was left of Poland – Malbork fell into abject decline. Finally, on January 1,1961, the Malbork Castle Museum was founded and restoration work given the green light. It was a huge effort, but the meticulous restoration work was finally rewarded in 1997 when the castle was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.


What to See

Visible from 20km away Malbork is best appreciated by paying to cross over its northern drawbridge and spend an hour or two exploring its extraordinary interior. Made up of three distinctly different ensembles known as the High Castle, Middle Castle and Outer Bailey and surrounded by a vast dry moat, the most impressive sights all lie within the High Castle, the Brethren Knights' original monastery, and the Middle Castle which served as the centre of the Teutonic Knights' political activity. Among the jaw-droppingly awesome collection of buildings, impossible to miss are the 14th-century Palace of the Grand Masters, the original residence of the so-called Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. The vaulted interiors are marked by columns that fan out like palm trees, supposedly to remind the knights of their Palestinian roots, and it’s inside the main refectory you’ll find one such palm supporting an entire ceiling – a cannonball hole can be spotted on a nearby wall from when Polish soldiers tried to collapse the pillar. They missed by just the narrowest of margins, the result of their vandalism still in evidence.
Also to visit is the breathtaking St. Mary's Church, the Grand Masters' final resting place and the impressive courtyard in the centre of the Middle Castle. Many rooms are open to the public, including during the summer a wonderful recreation of the Castle's mill hidden away in a garden in the southwest corner of the High Castle. In contrast to the spartan, simple style of the Grand Masters Chambers the rest of the castle is a trove of treasures, and includes an enormous collection of weaponry as well as an amber exhibition. Other rooms are devoted to the Teutonic life and feature the requisite collection of armour, flags and goblets.

Keep an eye out for the 112-page Illustrated Guidebook to Malbork Castle published by the Castle Museum by in Polish, German and English costing 26 zł and available in the tourist information and the Castle Museum shop.

Admission 29/20zł.