Castle in Olsztyn in the Jura. Ruins of a medieval stronghold

The castle in Olsztyn Jurajskiis the ruins of a former medieval building. They rise on a high limestone hill, beautifully integrated into the rocky outcrops. Hence the name of the Eagles' Nests Trail, the main trail in the Jura. The local castles sat on the rocks, like eagles' nests.

Olsztyn Castle is one of the most important points on this route! The Olsztyn stronghold is a Gothic castle structure of the upland type. Its construction includes not only limestone outcrops, but also karst grottoes, which allows it to be included in the group of cave castles. The remains of the building together with the surrounding Jurassic landscape create an extremely picturesque landscape. This panorama is especially heartwarming when seen from a drone!

Visiting the castle in Olsztyn

In recent years, the ruins of the Olsztyn castle have been protected and in some form also rebuilt. There are plans to build a museum here, and an underground system is to be made available, which is currently being studied in detail. However, this does not prevent the entire hill from being made available to tourists, in the season for a fee, but cheap. A magnificent gate leads to the castle hill, and after it, the tour takes place at your own discretion, along a paved path among numerous rocks, which only adds to the charm of this place. Guided tours are also possible during outdoor events, such as the Juromania in September.

History of the castle in Olsztyn

Olsztyn is located several kilometers from Częstochowa. Driving away from it, on the Castle Hill, you can see theruins of a medieval stronghold rising above the city. The tower was probably built in the 13th century and for over 300 years was a strategic point of resistance in north-western Lesser Poland. In the fourteenth century, the castle was built here by King Casimir the Great. 

The attack of Maximilian Habsburg

During its greatest glory, i.e. in the 16th century, the castle consisted of two outer wards and a lower, middle and upper castle. In 1587, the Olsztyn castle was attacked by the army of Archduke Maximilian Habsburg. He reached the stronghold in mid-December 1587, after he failed to capture Krakow. These were dramatic moments for the inhabitants of the Olsztyn fortress and to this day they are associated with the legend that I described below. Although the castle was not captured at that time, it was seriously damaged.

Swedish Deluge

Another defeat occurred during the Swedish Deluge in 1656. The walls were unable to resist the enemy. Since then, the stronghold has remained in ruins. In addition, in the years 1722-29 it was demolished to obtain material for the construction of a nearby church in Olsztyn. 

Today, a characteristic element of the ruins is its oldest part, a Gothic tower from the second half of the 13th century. It is 35 meters high. It was the ultimate point of defense, but it also once served as a prison. In it, Macko Borkowic died of starvation on the orders of Casimir the Great for treason.

Legend of the Castle in Olsztyn

Sometimes you can hear a child crying in the castle. Do not think then that it is a hula wind between the rocks. This is the spirit of the son of Kacper Karliński, the starost of the Olsztyn coat of arms of Ostoja. He led the defense of the castle with a crew of 80 soldiers. At the cost of his child's life, he refused to surrender the stronghold to the armies of Archduke Maximilian Habsburg. How did this happen? The Austrian archduke attacked the castle several times and after another unsuccessful attack, he wanted to turn back the army. Then his supporter, Stanisław Stadnicki, called the "Łańcut Devil", came up with a clever plan. 

He struck Karliński's court in Karlin (today it is a suburb of Zawiercie), burned it and kidnapped his 6-year-old son. The child was placed in the front of the army as a human shield during the next assault of the Austrian army. At this, Kacper Karliński shouted "First I was a Pole rather than a father" and fired the cannon. When attacking the enemy, he also had to kill his child. Although the attack was repulsed and the enemy army left, Karliński, in despair, refused to accept the honors and died after 3 years. Poets such as Aleksander Fredro and Konstanty Damrot wrote about his heroism. You will hear even more about these events by visiting the nearbyNativity Scene in Olsztyn.

Events at the Castle in Olsztyn

Once, the ruins of the castle in Olsztyn were a place of unprecedented spectacle attracting crowds of people thirsty for impressions. Once a year, a festival of fireworks and lasers to brighten the black night was held here in autumn. Today, tourists are attracted by other events, such as the Collector's Fair in June or the celebratedJuromania in September.

Knight tournament at the castle in Olsztyn

However, the most interesting outdoor event at the castle is the Tournament for the sabre of the Olsztyn Starost - a colorful event attracting "medieval people" and crowds of tourists. It takes place every year in August, in the vicinity of the indulgence, on the square in front of the castle.

Olsztyn Film Festival

The town appeared in several films, scenes were filmed in the vicinity of the castle, including for Has's film "Manuscript Found in Zaragoza" or Pasikowski's film "Demons of War According to Goya".

Olsztyn undergrounds and attractions in the area

Under the castle, in the rocks, there are caves and carved undergrounds that are still waiting to be discovered and, I hope, made available to tourists. This is a great curiosity that can attract you even more to this mysterious and beautiful place. From the top of the Castle Mountain, there is a magnificent view of the wide area and the famous Jurassic Giewont, i.e.Biakło Mountain. It is also close to the less besieged Commodity Mountains and the eagerly visited, but more extensive Falcon Mountains. Under the castle itself, you can also see an interesting historic granary, moved here and reconstructed several years ago. By the way, it is a beautiful and tasty place to relax after a walk and replenish calories.

Our videos

See also our videos about the Jura, in which we also beautifully show the castle in Olsztyn

Practical information

Every day from 9.00 to the evening
Tickets to the hill: normal PLN 10, reduced PLN 6, children under 7 free
Tickets to the observation tower: normal PLN 4, reduced PLN 2
Parking: paid near the promenade
Current visiting hours and ticket prices can be found at www.zamekolsztyn.pl

Ruins of the castle
at Zamkowa Street, Olsztyn