Visiting Malbork Castle

Just a forty minute train ride from Sopot (city guide can be found here) is the legendary castle of Malbork. Boasting the status of the largest brick castle in the world, the impressive structure was at the very heart of the Teutonic Knight Empire, who were a Germanic Order of Catholic Crusaders, during the middle ages.

The medieval castle was originally used as a base to control the surrounding people after the Teutonic conquest of Old Prussia in the late 13^th century. It was later expanded and eventually become the largest Gothic structure ever made.

A visit to Sopot or the surrounding cities should certainly mean a trip to this historic place. We made sure that we booked our tour of this beautiful castle early. We decided on visiting Malbork Castle on Day 3 of our visit to Sopot back in 2019 and were lucky enough to have an expert tour guide show us around.

On first impressions, the castle is unlike anything I have ever seen. Whilst you queue to collect or purchase your tickets, you are greeted with an intimidating wall of bricks that seems to go on forever.

It is no surprise that this castle was never truly conquered and when you see the castle from the banks of the river, this thought is amplified further still. Our tour eventually began with us being told that Malbork actually consists of three separate castles, each of which were built consecutively as the Teutonic Order grew in size.

We began by walking along the outer walls and in the gardens, where we were greeted with two large owls from the falconry display. The day was hot again and so suncream and hats were a must, particularly for poor Jack and his ever-growing bald spot.

We eventually entered the castle gate to find ourselves in the stunning courtyard of the Middle Castle. The large square enclosed a reconstructed well which was decorated with a large tree that grew behind it. I could certainly imagine myself relaxing here and reading a book. The walls of the courtyard seemed to go on forever and were impressive enough by themselves but when we looked up we couldn’t help but notice the large tower looming over us, leaving us both in awe.

Funnily enough the Middle Castle, we were told, was actually the second part of the structure to be completed and sat below the Upper Castle. We continued along the cobbled floor of the courtyard before taking some steep steps up to the second floor viewing gallery so that we could get a birds-eye view of the area which allowed us to pause slightly before continuing on our exploration. Along the way we were also shown an underfloor heating system here, one of the first of its kind.

Then we took the path that led to the drawbridge to the Upper Castle. The bridge itself went over a gigantic trench which was certainly not for the faint of heart. As I saw more of this impressive castle, the more I began to understand exactly why it was never conquered. We started our time here by looking in the kitchen, where we were told a story of how the cooks used to drill holes in the ceiling as they were right below the Grand Master’s treasury. This meant that they could pinch a coin or two without anybody noticing. Unfortunately for them, they were given up by some colleagues and were swiftly sentenced to death.

The actual kitchen seemed like it could have been the actual one from the 13^th Century, with replica pots and pans lining the brick walls. We then moved up to the first floor to see the treasury. The original carpentry and sculpture of these rooms have had to be mostly made of replicas as many have not survived over the years. Despite this the castle did a fantastic job at upholding the illusion and we very much felt transported back in time.

As we continued our tour of the Upper Castle we came across the rooms that would have been used by the nobility, with rich colours jumping out at you from the ceilings and the floors. These quarters of the Grand Master and his close followers showed us the vast wealth of the Order and was beyond impressive. Also on this floor were the original toilets used by the people who lived within the walls. These were simple holes which went into the river beneath the tower and we were told that the hygiene level of these knights was ahead of their time. We continued on the tour where we were told of more ghastly stories that occurred within the castle as well as interesting facts that we would never have imagined.

One thing synonymous with Poland is just how fresh the Second World War feels in comparison with the United Kingdom. This is likely because Poland was in the midst of it all due to its location. Indeed, Malbork is of no exception. The castle was actually occupied by German forces up until 1945 and was a site of a key battle between them and the Soviet Union. Because of this, much of the castle was destroyed and much restoration has taken place since.

Nowhere is it more evident than in the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, where damaged structures can be seen throughout. Indeed, there used to be a large statue of Mary that stood 8m tall, but legend had it that wherever she looked the Polish land would be under German control. She was therefore destroyed in the years after German occupation. Prior to this however, the statue was believed to have had healing properties and drew in pilgrims across the land.

Our last stop was in the large courtyard of the Upper Castle, which boasted a large green lawn as well as spectacular views. Here, our guide contradicted himself and said that the castle had ‘technically’ been conquered before. For his last fact of the day, he told us that in the 15^th Century it was left in the hands of mercenaries, who quickly sold it to the Polish King for a quick profit.

Our day exploring the castle was incredible and ended with a medieval-themed lunch just outside of the main castle complex. We then walked down towards the river, past all of the shops selling food and knight merchandise, so that we could stand in the middle of the bridge and take a look at the impressive building ahead of us. This blog post really does not do the day out justice and is one of those ‘have to see to believe’ places. Visiting Malbork Castle really is a ‘bucket list’ activity for any visitor to Poland!

My Travel Tips and Recommendations

Flights

My usual go-to for booking flights is Skyscanner, the flight search engine. What I love about Skycanner is that you have various options depending on your situation. If you know where you want to go it’s easy – all you need is to search for your destination and dates, and you are provided with all flight options to choose from. If you haven’t decided on your next trip yet, you can use the Everywhere tool for inspiration and to find the cheapest places to fly to.

Accommodation

Whenever I plan my travels Booking.com is my best friend. The website is super easy to use and provides a whole range of accommodation from fancy resorts to budget hotels. Jack and I also regularly use Airbnb – in particular, for staycations in the UK.

Things I can’t travel without

As a travel blogger and keen photographer I never travel without my trusty technology. Always packed are my

Canon EOS M3
GoPro Hero5 Black
I’m also saving for a DJI Mavic Pro

Travel Insurance

It is so important to be prepared for all possibilities when travelling and you simply shouldn’t travel without insurance. When looking for cover I would personally recommend World Nomads or the Post Office – both are affordable and certainly won’t break the bank.