The Teutonic castle in Świecie

The origins of the Teutonic stronghold in Świecie date back to the first half of the 14th century. The monastic knights chose a rather unusual place to build the castle - a large peninsula, located at the confluence of the Vistula and Wda rivers. Thanks to this, both rivers turned the area in the middle into a place that was difficult to access. Such "water" defense was an exception among the castles built in the Teutonic state. The spatial arrangement of the secular castle was also unusual. Its uniqueness was expressed in the layout plan, which had never been seen before in Teutonic architecture. The high castle had cylindrical towers in the corners, protruding in front of the perimeter walls, adapted for their flank defense, and a main tower. The northern wing of the castle and the above-mentioned tower have survived to this day. Its characteristic element is the finial in the form of battlement (brick teeth) on stone corbels, which is unique in the construction of the Teutonic state. The tower is 34.75 m high and tilts 106 cm from the vertical! From its top you can admire a beautiful panorama of the Lower Vistula Valley. Attention! Due to construction works, visiting the castle is difficult.