Tag - Bąkowiec Castle

Bąkowiec Castle in Morsko – ruins of a 14th-century castle on the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, administratively located in Zawiercie, in the Skarżyce district.

The castle was built on the Tygrys rock, on the top of Łężec hill. It is a lofty limestone rock with vertical or overhanging walls. The castle walls were incorporated into it on a plan of an irregular polygon. The stone gate, fragments of which have survived to this day, led to a small courtyard surrounded by a wall and quadrangular rooms located on opposite sides of the rock in an enfilade arrangement. The semicircular towers in the corners played an observation and defensive role.

The castle walls on the outside were built of carefully matched limestone, and the internal parts were filled with stone rubble poured with a large amount of lime mortar. On the eastern side, a farmyard adjoined the rock, the defense of which was reinforced by a conical earthen embankment with an oval tower and a dry moat. On the southern side, the castle was protected by a stone wall, the remains of which are still visible. Access to the upper castle was only on foot through a system of footbridges and ladders.

The castle’s construction is not documented. The first wooden stronghold was probably built in the 14th century by the Sea Knights of the Topór coat of arms. The first documented mentions of Bąkowiec Castle date back to 1389. In 1390, the castle was owned by Mikołaj Strzała. In the summer of 1391, the castle was captured by royal troops during the battles between Władysław Jagiełło and Władysław Opolczyk.

Until the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle changed owners many times. At that time, the castle was owned by the Włodków family and they are credited with building a new brick castle. The castle is mentioned in a document from 1531, when it was owned by Piotr Zborowski. Then it came into the possession of the Brzeski family, and after them into the hands of the Giebułtowski family. Since the 17th century, after the Swedish invasion, the castle has been falling into ruin.

In the interwar period, the architect Witold Czeczott-Danilewicz built a house here using the castle walls. After 1945, a recreation center was built next to the castle, as well as a café with a terrace and a ski lift. In the years 1959–1961, the ruins were preserved, and in 1967 the ruins were entered into the register of historical monuments.

Hikes related to the tag BĄKOWIEC CASTLE: