Poland - Eastern Europe - page 462

DAY TRIP TO MALBORK CASTLE
The monumental Teutonic Knights castle at Malbork (or Marienburg, as it's known
in German) lies just 60km (36 miles) south of Gda ^ sk and is an easy day trip by train
or car. The castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a jaw-dropper—the biggest
brick-built castle in the world.
The castle dates from the beginning of the 14th century and was intended to mark
the capital of the Teutonic Knights' new northern European home. At the time, the
Knights, an order of Christian crusaders fighting in the Holy Lands, had suffered a
string of military defeats and were forced to retreat to Europe. They accepted an offer
of land by a Polish duke, who was hoping to use the Knights' power to subdue pagan
Prussians in the West. The Knights, always eager to subdue pagans, began construc-
tion of the Malbork castle in 1309. They were ruthless and highly disciplined, and
soon came to rival the Polish kings for control over the vital Baltic Sea trade, includ-
ing trade in amber. A century later, in 1410, the Poles—along with the Lithuanians
and troops from other lands—joined forces to defeat the Knights at the epic Battle of
Grünwald (sometimes called the “Battle of Tannenberg” in history books). This
marked the beginning of the end of the Knights' reign in western Poland. They were
eventually forced to abandon the Malbork castle and were dispatched to East Prussia.
(As a side note, the Knights still exist, but are devoted to wholly—and holy —peaceful
pursuits, like running schools and hospitals.)
Following the Knights' defeat, the castle fell to the Polish kings, who used it as an
occasional residence. After the Polish partition at the end of the 18th century the Prus-
sians took control of Malbork and the castle, turning it into a military barracks. Ger-
man control lasted until the end of World War II, when heavy fighting between
Germans and Russians destroyed the town and left the castle in ruins. What you see
today is the result of a long and steady restoration process that was only completed
about a decade ago.
You can tour the castle individually or with a guide. There's an impressive amber
display, lots of information about the Teutonic Knights and their militaristic lifestyle,
and of course displays of medieval weaponry. Allow yourself 3 hours or more to give
this incredible castle complex at least a cursory once-over.
By train, Malbork lies on the main Gda ^ sk-Warsaw line, meaning that departures
from Gda ^ sk are frequent. By car, figure on about 45 minutes drive south along the
E75 highway.
Malbork Castle. & 055/647-09-78. www.zamek.malbork.pl. Admission 30 zl ($10/£5.50). May-Sept daily
9am-7pm; Oct-Apr daily 10am-3pm.
TORU%
150km (90 miles) S of Gda^sk
To r u ^ is an exceedingly charming university town with at least three things going for
it. One, obviously, is its claim to fame as the birthplace of Nicholas Copernicus in
1473. He was the first to postulate that the earth revolves around the sun (and not vice
versa), setting the stage for later major advances in astronomy (and greatly ruffling the
feathers of the Catholic Church in the process!). The second is Toru ^ 's unrivaled stock
of original baroque and Renaissance buildings. Unlike many Polish towns of its size,
To r u ^ escaped major damage in World War II. This is a chance to see what Poland
might have looked like had history turned out differently. The third is a number of very