Castles and palaces in Warmia and Masuria
Many tourists know that the Warmia and Masuria region enjoys many well-preserved historical buildings. This is evidenced, for example, by the popularity of the Gothic Castle Trail, which leads to six fortresses in our region (there are fourteen of them throughout the trail) – Teutonic, episcopal and capitular. Since they preserved in a good condition, they have been revitalised. There are currently museums, cultural centers, and even hotels. Numerous old manor houses and palaces shared similar fate.
However, there are historical buildings that were less fortunate and currently remain in poor condition, and even fall in ruins. However, this does not make them any less interesting, especially for those who love to explore such places. Of course, roaming the ruins on your own can be dangerous, but it is worth at least taking a look at them and getting to know their rich history. Here we would like to present two particularly interesting sights, both in terms of the size and the functions they formerly served.
Inaccessible ruins of the castle in Szymbark
The castle in Szymbark near Iława was built in the 13th or 14th century and originally had as many as ten defensive towers. Its last tenants were representatives of the von Finckenstein line, who resided the castle until the end of World War II. They were forced to flee by the Soviets, who took over the castle in January 1945 and, supposedly, set it on fire on departure. The castle burned down almost completely and today we can only see its ruins. Though, unfortunately, they are not available for sightseeing, you can still take a walk around the remains of the walls. You can also take a virtual tour thanks to a special board placed near the building. The owners of the drones willingly operate them over the castle so that they can see it from a bird’s eye view. While in Szymbark, you can also visit the von Finckenstein cemetery, which is about 1.5 km away. Other ruins of castles awaiting your exploration are also in Szczytno (revitalised), Kurzętnik, Pieniężno and Ełk.
Mysterious palace in Sztynort
In Sztynort there is a 17th-century palace of the Lehndorff family, one of the most powerful lines among the Prussian nobility. It was frequently visited by the Warmian bishop Ignacy Krasicki. Until the end of the 19th century, there was a stud of pure bred Arabian horses. An interesting fact is that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Third Reich, Joachim von Ribbentrop, resided in Sztynort during World War II. Though the palace was not destroyed during the war turmoil, until the year 1947 it served as the headquarters of the Soviet troops and a collection point for property exported to the east. After the Soviet departure, the remains of the palace’s furnishings were placed in the Museum of Warmia and Masuria in Olsztyn.
Until 1989, the user of the palace foundation was State Agricultural Enterprise. Then successive private owners of the facility failed to bring it back to life. However, there is a chance that the palace will regain its former splendour over time – currently there are intensive renovation works taking place, an information point has been set up, and you can visit part of the complex after a prior arrangement. While there, it is also worth seeing the Lehndorff mausoleum, which takes the form of an octagonal rotunda with a star-shaped vault. It is located at the isthmus between the Sztynorckie Lake and the Łabap Lake. The crypt in the basement of the chapel buried the remains of the family members, but both the crypt and the nearby cemetery were destroyed. We also encourage you to visit the ruins of such palaces as the Dohnas Family in Słobity, the Eulenburg Family in Prośno and the Finckenstein family in Kamieniec.
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