Mysteries of the Gothic Castles Trail in Warmia and Masuria
Stretching from Ostróda to Ryn – if we want to visit Warmia and Masuria on the Gothic Castle Trail, we must prepare for a long journey. A journey that is full of surprising discoveries. Because castles, as befits medieval buildings, hide many secrets.
The Gothic Castle Trail connects the strongholds of the State of the Teutonic Order within the boundaries of the present-day Warmian-Masurian, Kuyavian-Pomeranian and Pomeranian provinces. We begin following the trail around Warmia and Masuria from the Teutonic castle in Ostróda, erected near Lake Drwęckie at the mouth of the Drwęca River. The castle stables once housed the Teutonic Knights’ most precious “export goods” – war horses. They were even praised by the Prussians, who themselves were famous for their horse trade. According to historians, these animals were the ancestors of the Trakehner horses, whose systematic breeding began around the 18th century.
Fot. Ostróda Museum
Going south, we reach Nidzica, towered over by the largest Teutonic castle in Masuria. What is interesting, but not very commendable, in the times of the Duchy of Prussia, it was among the places where the most witch trials were conducted. The period of the Swedish Deluge is associated with the legend of the Tatar Stone. A bullet fired from the castle cannon in its direction was meant to discourage the Tatars from conquering the city.
From Nidzica, Działdowo is a short distance away. The renovated wing of the Teutonic castle houses the Borderland Museum. In 2014, the museum’s interactive exhibition of the State of the Teutonic Order was recognised as one of the “7 new wonders of Poland” in a poll organised by National Geographic Traveler.
Heading north, you can’t miss Olsztyn. The local castle of the Warmia chapter is where Nicolaus Copernicus resided for several years. A remnant of his stay is an astronomical table on the cloister wall, which served to depict the apparent movement of the Sun on days close to the vernal equinox. It is the only surviving instrument in the world made and used by Copernicus.
Copernicus also lived in the Castle of Warmian Bishops in Lidzbark Warmiński. The building still inspires awe today both with its size and treasures hidden inside. When it was believed that all the secrets of the castle had already been revealed, renovation works exposed fragments of buildings, possibly predating the stronghold itself. Meanwhile, on the ground floor, at the back of the kitchen and in the basement, polychromes were discovered, which is a unique find in castles from this period.
On our return to Masuria, we again encounter supernatural forces. Freemasons were sometimes accused of conspiring with evil powers. Relics of their activities are found among the exhibits of the Wojciech Kętrzyński Museum, based in the Teutonic castle in Kętrzyn. The city’s freemason lodge was founded in 1818 and operated until it was banned by the Third Reich. However, its headquarters, created in the English neo-Gothic style, can be admired to this day.
We finish our journey in Ryn. There is a story associated with the local Teutonic castle with a ghost in the lead role. The white lady who haunts the chambers of Ryń is presumed to be the wife of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas. Dreaming of a royal crown, Vytautas paid multiple visits to the castle, conspiring with the Teutonic Knights and counting on their help. As a guarantee of siding with them, he left behind his wife Anna and children in Ryn. However, when he did not betray Jagiełło at Grunwald, the Teutonic Knights were said to have walled up his family in the cellars. Contrary to this legend, historians persist in their claims that Anna died a few years later in Trakai.
Ghosts, spells and Tatars, miracles, Copernicus and legendary horses. Wandering along the Gothic Castle Trail in Warmia and Masuria, we will learn not only the history of their walls and inhabitants, but also experience their uniqueness.
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